Every night, a mass assassin stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their properties. The doomed souls, mesmerized by the sunshine, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m talking in regards to the bug zapper. Many people use the gadget to rid themselves of mosquitoes and different pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Decker. Flowtron will help get rid of flying pests over up to "2 acres" for simply $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" strategy to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The problem? None of these claims are true, scientists say. In fact, bug zappers make it more possible you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your yard. "When it comes to mosquitoes, bug zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, an entomologist on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are distinctive killers of bugs - just not those that chew you. Among the many 1000's of insects these units electrocute every night time, nearly all are harmless.

One research estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers bought in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects annually - with no discernible influence on mosquitoes or Zap Zone Defender different biting insects. This pointless slaughter of native insect populations may be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to experts about why bug zappers are a extremely unhealthy thought to get rid of mosquitoes - and what works instead. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, usually using a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet gentle, or Zap Zone Defender generally carbon dioxide or ZapZone Defender chemical bait. Yet studies present virtually no mosquitoes or other biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the loss of life toll from one bug zapper over a single evening: 10,000 insects. Just eight had been mosquitoes. Similar studies reflected those findings. Around the same time, Zap Zone Defender researchers on the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to entice 13,789 insects over a summer time.

Only 31 - 0.22 % - had been biting insects corresponding to mosquitoes and Zap Zone Defender gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, Zone Defender largely. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - had been harmless aquatic species from nearby rivers and streams, fish meals in the aquatic food chain. Many of the others had been parasitic wasps and Zap Zone Defender beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes aren't fooled by zappers as a result of, together with other bloodsucking insects, they've advanced to dwelling in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, Zap Zone Defender not ultraviolet mild, scientists say. Even if mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, they are going to instantly redirect their attention to their favorite foods: warmblooded mammals, Zap Zone Defender particularly people. And Zap Zone Defender Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the identical conclusion: "No controlled scientific study has shown that these devices reduce mosquito biting rates outdoors," it states on its website. None responded with material supporting their claims after multiple inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all questions to a contract manufacturer, which additionally didn't respond. These claims not only mislead consumers by ignoring scientific evidence, but they may create a false sense of safety for Zap Zone Defender people who use these gadgets to guard against mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, Fordyce stated. "If one want to avoid being bit, a repellent is the answer," he says. "Even if zappers labored … The FTC, while not commenting on the companies’ advertising statements, noted that it had investigated deceptive statements and safety points prior to now issuing warning letters and filing cases in opposition to manufacturers of other forms of pest control, resembling ultrasonic devices. FTC officials advisable the general public submit any complaints by way of their webpage. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are just one in every of many suspect merchandise promising to eliminate biting insects: ultrasonic devices, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are among these that do not work, or do more harm than good, in response to Texas A&M.

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Pub: 14 Aug 2025 03:22 UTC

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