Sitting outdoors and enjoying the cool summer breeze once it gets dark is enjoyable, and bugs might ruin this perfect scenario. That is annoying, but we have a solution for you: bug zappers! In case you can’t figure out how does a bug zapper works, we got it covered.
We will also give you an idea of why a bug zapper is a good choice instead of other bug solutions. Similarly, we will give information about its drawbacks and what makes it effective.
Why Choose Bug Zappers?
Bugs are attracted by light, and this becomes a nuisance if you decide to sit outside. Not just outdoors, but sometimes these bugs start buzzing inside of your house.
They might also invade your space indoors, as well as in places like restaurants, hospitals, and offices. Not only is it annoying, but the sight of dozens of bugs just roaming around is also very unhygienic.
Bugs feed on your food, thereby, contaminating it. This is the root cause of many diseases. For this reason, it is essential to wipe out these bugs from your surroundings.
A lot of solutions to get rid of these bugs are available for you in the market, including bug sprays, powders, and oils. Natural remedies like baking soda, vinegar, and similar hacks also work for some people. However, if there are too many bugs that cannot be efficiently controlled by small-scale methods in bigger spaces, then a bug zapper is a perfect choice.
What Makes a Bug Zapper Effective?
A more formal name given to bug zappers is an electric insect killer, an electronic insect control system, or an electrocution trap. No matter how you call them, bug zappers are designed to kill bugs without any effort from you. To kill the bugs, all you have to do is put the zapper in the right place.
Bug zappers work well indoors as well as outdoors. They consist of various components that together make the bug zapper effective in functioning.
- Exterior casing: The shape of the bug zapper’s exterior casing can be cylindrical, lantern-like, or rectangular. It is made of either grounded metal or plastic bars. It is often cage-like to protect people and animals from accidentally touching the integrated high voltage grid.
- Light source: The fluorescent light source placed inside the zappers serves to be the primary weapon. It can be mercury, neon, or ultraviolet light.
- High-voltage grids: Usually, two-wire grids surround the light bulb. You will find these two wires a few millimeters apart.
- Transformer: This device works to electrify the grid that causes the insects to electrocute. The basic purpose of a transformer is to convert the 120V electric line into 2000V or more, as required.
A bug zapper is very easy to install and move around. They also come with handles in case you want to hang them somewhere, instead of placing them on the floor.
Many of them come with portable trays that collect dead insects. Some models have a fan that is used to trap the bugs.
How Does a Bug Zapper Work?
Before we talk about how a bug zapper works, here is something to ponder over. Why does only UV light attract bugs?
Firstly, some bugs show positive phototactic movement, which means that these bugs move towards any source of light. Besides this, bugs are more drawn toward sources of UV light because according to entomologists, flowers reflect UV light. As such, bugs mistake these unnatural sources of light that emit even a small amount of UV light as their food.
Thus, their food search is what answers the question “How does a bug zapper work?“. To put it in detail, the bugs move toward the light source placed inside the bug zapper resulting in their rapid demise.
When a bug sees a light source from afar, it moves towards the bug zapper, and then enters the cage. However, what lies between the cage and the light bulb is the secret weapon, the ultimate trap that you have laid down, which is the high-voltage grid!
As soon as the bug touches this high-voltage grid, you will hear a distinct loud noise. This is the sound of the bug dying after it touches a 2000V grid and vaporizes into thin air.
Bug zappers are capable of killing over 10,000 insects within a single evening. Having a bug-free environment is not only pleasing but also healthy. Hence, if you wish to have a bug-free space, you need to install a bug zapper in a place where you find numerous bugs hovering over any light source.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
There are many pros to using bug zappers, but at the same time, there are certain drawbacks to using them. Bug zappers cannot discriminate between the types of bugs they want to kill.
Also, bugs that are more attracted to UV light have higher chances of death. For this reason, mosquitoes are usually not easy to trap in zappers since they are not attracted by UV light.
A better option in such a case is to install yellow lights. You can use these lights on terraces, porches, etc. because bugs do not hover around yellow lights.
Additionally, you have to ensure that the zapper is cleaned regularly. The insect after electrocution turns into a mist, which contains insect parts and can stay in the air for more extended periods. It is also better to install bug zappers away from food preparation areas because these can contaminate the food, making it extremely unhygienic.
Final Verdict
Using a bug zapper to clean your space and free it from bugs is an excellent idea. These devices work to make you outdoors as well as indoors worth spending time with your family, friends, partner, or yourself.
One of the best features of this device is its compact and portable size.
This allows you to use it in small-scale as well as large-scale bug wipe-out quests! Another thing is its working power; it can kill a staggering number of insects.
Therefore, once you install a bug zapper, you can enjoy your summer nights to the fullest. You can just relax on the porch chairs, with your favorite book and cup of tea. The bug zapper allows you to be least bothered by the bugs buzzing around the light source, as you flip through the pages.
