Drywood termites, an invasive species of termite that gnaws through dry wood without moisture, causing significant damage to homes and furniture, were recently discovered for the first time in Korea in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and now there are reports of termite sightings in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. However, it is believed that the insects are not invasive.
On the 18th, an online community, DishInside, posted a post saying, “Insects believed to be termites are seen inside a store operating in Asan.
The writer said, “I contracted a store in Asan in February with a wooden interior and started business in March, but in mid-April, I saw something flying and thought, ‘Is it a rice moth,’ but it was a termite메이저사이트,” and added, “I am suffering. The exterminator came and sprayed, but after a couple of days, dozens of them came out through the wallpaper in different places. The larvae were dripping from behind picture frames. The woodwork was hollow,” he wrote.
Along with the post, the author posted six photos, showing dozens of termites scaling the walls and floor.
“It seems to be a widely distributed species in Korea,” said termite expert Park Hyun-chul, a professor at Pusan National University. “The domestic species can also damage wooden houses, causing structural problems. In 1997, we surveyed cultural properties across the country, and termite damage was confirmed in almost all of them.”
Meanwhile, the first exotic termite in Korea was recently found in a house in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, and it was identified as the genus Cryptophthalmus from the drywood termite family.
Although termites of this family are not harmful to humans, they are known to cause great damage to wooden buildings and materials by eating them from the inside out.
“We have completed emergency control measures at the reported points,” said Jeong Hwan-jin, head of the Biodiversity Division of the Ministry of Environment, adding, “If you find an alien termite, please report it immediately to the National Ecological Institute’s Alien Species Reporting Center (041-950-5407, kias.nie.re.kr).”