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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 light, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m speaking concerning the bug zapper. Many individuals use the device to rid themselves of mosquitoes and other pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Zappify Bug Zapper Decker. Flowtron will assist 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 issue? None of these claims are true, scientists say. In truth, bug zappers make it more seemingly you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your backyard. "When it involves mosquitoes, bug zapper for patio zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, an entomologist on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are exceptional killers of bugs - just not the ones that chunk you. Among the 1000's of insects these units electrocute every night, nearly all are harmless.

One study estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers sold in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects yearly - with no discernible impression on mosquitoes or different biting insects. This pointless slaughter of local insect populations could also be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to consultants about why bug zappers are a extremely dangerous concept to get rid of mosquitoes - and what works as an alternative. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, usually utilizing a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet light, or sometimes carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet research present virtually no mosquitoes or different biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the dying toll from one Zappify Bug Zapper zapper over a single evening: 10,000 insects. Just eight had been mosquitoes. Similar research mirrored those findings. Around the identical time, researchers at the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to lure 13,789 insects over a summer time.

Only 31 - 0.22 p.c - were biting insects similar to mosquitoes and gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, fly zapper principally. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - had been harmless aquatic species from nearby rivers and streams, fish food in the aquatic meals chain. Many of the others have been parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes usually are not fooled by zappers as a result of, together with other bloodsucking insects, they have advanced to house in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet mild, scientists say. Even if mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, they may immediately redirect their consideration to their favorite foods: warmblooded mammals, particularly people. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the identical conclusion: "No managed scientific examine has proven that these devices scale back mosquito biting rates outdoors," it states on its webpage. None responded with materials supporting their claims after multiple inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all questions to a contract producer, which additionally didn't respond. These claims not only mislead consumers by ignoring scientific evidence, however they may create a false sense of safety for people who use these devices to guard against mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, Fordyce mentioned. "If one want to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the solution," he says. "Even if zappers labored … The FTC, whereas not commenting on the companies’ advertising statements, famous that it had investigated misleading statements and security points prior to now issuing warning letters and filing cases in opposition to manufacturers of different varieties of pest management, comparable to ultrasonic devices. FTC officials advisable the general public submit any complaints through their website. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are simply one in all many suspect products promising to do away with biting insects: ultrasonic gadgets, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are amongst these that do not work, or do extra harm than good, in accordance with Texas A&M.