If things are getting buggy at your house and you’re tempted to use a bug zapper, think again. It seems like a simple enough solution, but it’s not a good one. Here are some things to think about:
Bug Zappers Kill Beneficial Insects
The light from a bug zapper will attract insects, like mosquitoes, to your yard. The worst part is that they will kill far more beneficial insects than biting bugs.
In 1997, the University of Florida reported that tests at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach showed out of some 10,000 insects destroyed by one bug zapper during a one-night test period, only eight were mosquitoes.
Upon Electrocution, Bug Debris is Spread
Not fun to think about, but it’s true. And if the breeze is blowing your way, you may be exposed to viruses and bacteria that those bugs were carrying.
An article by the International Association of Home Inspectors says: “The electrocuted insects are blasted into a fine mist that contains insect parts as well as unkilled bacteria and viruses up to 7 feet (2.1 m) from the device. The air surrounding the zapper may become contaminated with campylobacter jejuni, staphylococci, serratia marcescens, enterococci, and other potentially dangerous organisms commonly carried by flies. For this reason, a bug zapper should never be placed over a food preparation area or in a hospital or any other sterile environment to prevent the potential spread of disease. Children should not be allowed to play beneath an operating bug zapper. Models that contain a tray to catch insect debris are less of a health risk.”
Bugs Are Super Sensitive to Carbon Dioxide
Some companies advertise that their bug zappers generate carbon dioxide to attract mosquitoes. But turns out that mosquitoes much prefer natural carbon dioxide generated by humans than from an artificial source. In fact, Jonathon Day (Associate professor of entomology with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) said in the 1997 study: “The main reason bug zappers don’t work is that mosquitoes are extremely sensitive to carbon dioxide. They see the UV light in your yard, but once they pick up even the slightest trace of carbon dioxide from people, they change direction and zero in on the source of that odor. They are expert at detecting carbon dioxide at levels as low as 50 parts per million.”
Create a Mosquito Free Enviroment
Depending on where you live, you may be able to eliminate areas where mosquitoes live and breed. For example, don’t allow water to stand anywhere in your yard for more than a few days during the warmer months. This includes places like flower pot trays, buckets, hollow stumps, and low places in your landscape. A great thing to do is to encourage the presence of bats by providing a bat house. When you are outside and trying to discourage bugs, use a physical barrier like a screened porch or turn on fans because bugs don’t like moving air.
Make Yourself Bug Unfriendly
There are more and more natural bug repellents on the market. The most common essential oils used in home made or commercially made repellents include: Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Geranium, Lavender, and Mint. As always, make sure the oils you use are high quality and absolutely pure. Otherwise, you could expose yourself to toxins and end up with an ineffective spray. There are tons of recipes available on the internet if you want to make your own. You may want to experiment with the oils in your spray as I’ve seen different oils be effective in different areas.
If it’s not too warm, wear clothing as protection. There is even clothing that binds permethrin to fabric fibers for the life of the garment, so it stays in your clothes, not on your skin. Permethrin is a stable (synthetic) form of an insecticidal compound produced by the chrysanthemum flower. It’s not clear how
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