S. Korea sees surge in bee stings

Experts say extraordinarily hot temperatures contribute to increase in subtropical wasps

A nest of hornets (123rf)

South Korea has seen a surge in bee stings as subtropical wasps, such as Asian hornets, have gotten more active due to high temperatures, according to the National Fire Agency on Thursday.

According to the fire agency’s data, the number of cases where patients had to be transported to emergency services due to bee stings reached up to 2,583 over June to July in 2024.

On average, the fire agency had seen up to 42 reports made daily regarding bee stings. There has also been a 35.9 percent increase in the number of reports compared to last year’s numbers, as only around 1,900 reports were made over the same time period in 2023.

The National Fire Agency added that the number of calls made regarding beehive removals are also on the rise. From January to July in 2024, up to 112,234 beehive removal reports were filed to the fire agency, a 43.3 percent increase compared to the 78,310 reports made over the same period last year.

The fire agency added that around 40 to 50 percent of calls made regarding bee stings have been caused by wasps such as Asian hornets.

Asian hornets, which are subtropical wasps originating from Southeast Asia, have spread across the country over the past 20 years since being presumed to have entered Korea through the Busan Port in 2000.

Experts say that there has been a significant increase in the number of subtropical wasps like Asian hornets in Korea especially this year, due to high temperatures leading to heat waves and tropical nights over the past two months.

“As climate change causes summer temperatures to rise, Korea has recently seen a significant increase in the number of wasps that are normally found in the subtropics, such as the Asian hornets, as the hot temperatures help them stay more active,” Professor Choi Moon-bo from Kyungpook University, whose area of expertise covers bees and wasps, told The Korea Herald.

Compared to previous years, there has also been an increase in the number of subtropical wasps found in cities, leading to wasp hives being built in residential areas.

“Wasps like Asian hornets are settling in cities to avoid other wasps native to Korea that are also bigger in size (compared to the Asian hornets),” added Choi. “Urban redevelopment projects, which have increased the proportion of green spaces such as parks in cities, have also contributed to increasing habitats ideal for wasps.”

Meanwhile, Korea has reported seeing more pests at a faster time period this summer. In June, the Seoul Mosquito Forecast System noted seeing its average mosquito activity index at its highest level of 100 in its four-tier system, a significant surge compared to previous years. In early July, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a nationwide Japanese encephalitis alert, as an alarming number of mosquitoes infected with the virus were found across Korea due to an increase in temperatures due to climate change.

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)