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, electric bug zapper mesmerized by the light, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m speaking concerning the bug zapper. Many people use the machine to rid themselves of mosquitoes and other pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Decker. Flowtron will assist eradicate flying pests over up to "2 acres" for just $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" way to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The issue? None of those claims are true, scientists say. In truth, electric bug zapper zappers make it extra likely you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your yard. "When it involves mosquitoes, bug zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, an entomologist at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are exceptional killers of bugs - simply not those that chunk you. Among the 1000's of insects these gadgets electrocute every evening, almost all are harmless.

One examine estimated even a fraction of the indoor bug zapper zappers bought in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects annually - with no discernible influence on mosquitoes or other biting insects. This pointless slaughter of native insect populations could also be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to consultants about why rechargeable bug zapper zappers are a extremely dangerous concept to do away with mosquitoes - and what works as an alternative. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, usually using a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet light, or generally carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet studies show nearly no mosquitoes or other biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the demise toll from one bug zapper over a single night: electric bug zapper 10,000 insects. Just eight were mosquitoes. Similar research mirrored those findings. Around the same time, researchers on the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to entice 13,789 insects over a summer time.

Only 31 - 0.22 p.c - were biting insects akin to mosquitoes and gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, principally. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - were harmless aquatic species from close by rivers and Electric Bug Zapper streams, fish meals in the aquatic meals chain. Most of the others were parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes usually are not fooled by zappers because, along with different bloodsucking insects, they've developed to residence in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet light, scientists say. Even when mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, they will instantly redirect their consideration to their favourite foods: warmblooded mammals, especially humans. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the same conclusion: "No controlled scientific examine has proven that these devices scale back mosquito biting charges outdoors," it states on its website. None responded with materials supporting their claims after a number of inquiries.

Black and electric bug zapper Decker referred all questions to a contract manufacturer, which additionally did not respond. These claims not only mislead consumers by ignoring scientific evidence, but they might create a false sense of security for electric bug zapper people who use these gadgets to protect against mosquito-borne diseases within the United States, Fordyce mentioned. "If one wish to avoid being bit, a repellent is the solution," he says. "Even if zappers labored … The FTC, while not commenting on the companies’ marketing statements, noted that it had investigated deceptive statements and safety points prior to now issuing warning letters and filing circumstances in opposition to manufacturers of different types of pest control, akin to ultrasonic gadgets. FTC officials recommended the general public submit any complaints by means of their webpage. What does repel mosquitoes? cordless bug zapper zappers are simply one among 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 line with Texas A&M.