Every night time, a mass assassin stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their houses. The doomed souls, mesmerized by the sunshine, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m talking about the bug zapper. Many people use the device to rid themselves of mosquitoes and other pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Decker. Flowtron will assist get rid of flying pests over up to "2 acres" for 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 fact, bug zappers make it extra 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, an entomologist on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are distinctive killers of bugs - just not those that chunk you. Among the many 1000's of insects these devices electrocute every night, nearly all are harmless.

One examine estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers offered in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects annually - with no discernible impact 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 experts about why bug zappers are a extremely unhealthy thought to eliminate mosquitoes - and what works instead. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, usually utilizing a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet gentle, or typically carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet studies show virtually no mosquitoes or different biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, Zap Zone Defender the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the loss of life toll from one bug zapper over a single night time: 10,000 insects. Just eight were mosquitoes. Similar studies reflected those findings. Around the identical time, researchers at 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 comparable to mosquitoes and Zap Zone Defender gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, principally. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - had been harmless aquatic species from close by rivers and streams, fish food within the aquatic food chain. Many of the others were parasitic wasps and Zap Zone Defender beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes aren't fooled by zappers as a result of, along with other bloodsucking insects, they have advanced to dwelling in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet light, scientists say. Even if mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, they may immediately redirect their consideration to their favourite foods: warmblooded mammals, especially humans. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the same conclusion: "No managed scientific examine has proven that these gadgets scale back mosquito biting charges outdoors," it states on its webpage. None responded with material supporting their claims after multiple inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all questions to a contract manufacturer, which also didn't reply. These claims not only mislead buyers by ignoring scientific evidence, however they might create a false sense of safety for individuals who use these units to protect towards mosquito-borne diseases within the United States, Fordyce said. "If one wish to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the answer," he says. "Even if zappers worked … The FTC, while not commenting on the companies’ advertising statements, noted that it had investigated deceptive statements and security points up to now issuing warning letters and filing instances towards manufacturers of different varieties of pest control, corresponding to ultrasonic gadgets. FTC officials recommended the public submit any complaints by their website. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are simply certainly one of many suspect products promising to get rid of biting insects: ultrasonic gadgets, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are amongst those that do not work, or do extra harm than good, in keeping with Texas A&M.