Every night, a mass assassin stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their homes. The doomed souls, mesmerized by the sunshine, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m speaking concerning 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 assist remove flying pests over up to "2 acres" for just $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" option to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The issue? None of those claims are true, scientists say. Actually, bug zappers make it extra likely you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your backyard. "When it involves 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 - simply not those that chew you. Among the many hundreds of insects these units electrocute each evening, virtually all are harmless.

One study estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers sold in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects annually - with no discernible affect 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 bug zappers are a very unhealthy concept to eliminate mosquitoes - and ZappifyBug.com what works as a substitute. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, usually using a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet mild, or sometimes carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet studies present 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: 10,000 insects. Just eight had been mosquitoes. Similar research reflected these findings. Around the identical time, researchers at the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to trap 13,789 insects over a summer.

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 - have been harmless aquatic species from nearby rivers and streams, fish meals within the aquatic food chain. Lots of the others had been parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes should not fooled by zappers as a result of, along with other 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 cordless bug zapper zapper, they may immediately redirect their attention to their favorite foods: warmblooded mammals, particularly humans. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the identical conclusion: "No controlled scientific research has shown that these units cut back mosquito biting rates outdoors," it states on its webpage. None responded with materials supporting their claims after a number of inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all inquiries to a contract manufacturer, which also didn't respond. These claims not only mislead buyers by ignoring scientific evidence, but they may create a false sense of safety for docs.digarch.lib.utah.edu people who use these gadgets to protect against mosquito-borne diseases within the United States, Fordyce said. "If one would like to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the answer," he says. "Even if zappers worked … The FTC, whereas not commenting on the companies’ advertising statements, famous that it had investigated misleading statements and security points in the past issuing warning letters and filing instances against manufacturers of different varieties of pest management, such as ultrasonic gadgets. FTC officials advisable the public submit any complaints by means of their webpage. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are simply considered one of many suspect products promising to do away with biting insects: ultrasonic devices, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are amongst those that don't work, or do extra harm than good, according to Texas A&M.