Every night, Zap Zone Defender System a mass assassin stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their houses. The doomed souls, Zap Zone Defender System mesmerized by the light, throng to their deaths in scorching blasts of electricity. I’m talking about the bug zapper. Many people use the machine to rid themselves of mosquitoes and Zap Zone Defender other pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Zap Zone Defender Decker. Flowtron will help eliminate flying pests over as much as "2 acres" for Zap Zone Defender System just $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" approach to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The problem? None of these claims are true, scientists say. In truth, bug zappers make it more probably you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your backyard. "When it comes to mosquitoes, bug zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, UV bug zapper an entomologist at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are distinctive killers of bugs - just not those that bite you. Among the thousands of insects these units electrocute each night, virtually all are harmless.

One research estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers bought within the United States kill more than 70 billion insects yearly - with no discernible influence on mosquitoes or other biting insects. This pointless slaughter of native insect populations may be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to consultants about why bug zappers are a very unhealthy thought to do away with mosquitoes - and what works as an alternative. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, typically using a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet light, or generally carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet research present just about no mosquitoes or different biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, Zap Zone Defender USA the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the dying toll from one bug zapper over a single evening: 10,000 insects. Just eight have been mosquitoes. Similar studies reflected those findings. Around the identical time, researchers on the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to entice 13,789 insects over a summer time.

Only 31 - 0.22 percent - were biting insects resembling mosquitoes and gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, principally. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - were harmless aquatic species from nearby rivers and Zap Zone Defender System streams, fish meals in the aquatic meals chain. Lots of the others have been parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are usually not fooled by zappers because, along with other bloodsucking insects, they've advanced to home in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet gentle, scientists say. Even when mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, Zap Zone Defender System they are going to immediately redirect their consideration to their favorite foods: warmblooded mammals, particularly humans. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the same conclusion: "No managed scientific study has shown that these gadgets scale back mosquito biting charges outdoors," it states on its web site. None responded with material supporting their claims after a number of inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all questions to a contract producer, Zap Zone Defender Testimonial which also did not reply. These claims not solely mislead patrons by ignoring scientific evidence, Zap Zone Defender System but they might create a false sense of safety for people who use these units to protect in opposition to mosquito-borne diseases within the United States, Fordyce stated. "If one want to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the solution," he says. "Even if zappers worked … The FTC, while not commenting on the companies’ advertising statements, famous that it had investigated deceptive statements and security issues prior to now issuing warning letters and filing cases in opposition to manufacturers of other forms of pest management, akin to ultrasonic units. FTC officials really useful the public submit any complaints through their web site. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are just certainly one of many suspect products promising to get rid of biting insects: ultrasonic gadgets, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are among those that do not work, or do extra harm than good, in keeping with Texas A&M.