The Public Perception and Attitude on the Medical Insects and Pest Control in Korea

A study has been performed on perception of citizens about the medical insects (house flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches) in Chang Won city. A total of 375 subjects (male: 180, female: 195) was surveyed in October 1997. Cockroaches were the most dislike of medical insects to the dwellers. At a residence, cockroaches were the most troubled insects although mosquitoes were the most frequently appeared insects. Also, the most troubled insects were the cockroaches at hospitals, departments, coffee shops, and bars; the mosquitoes at theaters and parks; and the house flies at restaurants in the city. The cockroaches had the highest negative opinion score as a 4.4 point of a 5.0 point. About half of the subjects had extremely suffered from the mosquitoes (52.8%) and cockroaches (51.8%). House residents controlled house flies using fly swatters (50.0%) and insecticide sprayers (38.9%), but apartment residents controlled them using the sprayers (50.8%) and fly swatters (36.5%). The mosquitoes were controlled by using the sprayers (51.6%) and mosquito coils (36.4%). The cockroaches were controlled by using toxic baits (32.9%) and the sprayers (31.5%). Only 10% of the subjects were satisfied control management against the medical insects. The subjects wanted to more effectively control against cockroaches (39.9%) and mosquitoes (37.9%).