best way to use bug zapper

[ampsucker]

Ok, I've read all the articles about how bug zappers are not effective technology, they don't kill that many target (read, biting) insects, and they don't work worth a darn on mosquitoes at all.

Well, we have had unseasonable amounts of rain and a good amount of standing water I won't be able to drain this year. That means a banner insect population of all types. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I don't mind killing a few million non-target species of moth, beetle, gnat, midge, no-see-um, tick, fly, horsefly, fruit fly, deer fly, wasp, hornet, etc., I don't have close neighbors the incessant zapping will bother, and I don't want to spray a bunch of chemicals my 7 month old can toddle into and stick in his mouth in a couple of months. What I do have is two bug zappers in perfect working condition.

Anybody care to share tips and tricks on getting the most out of these apparently worthless pieces of chinese engineering? I gather you are supposed to keep them at least 30 feet away from areas you regularly use they don't attract insects that then divert their headings toward you and your innocent yard guests. I have two large security lights that burn all night. They attract a lot of moths and other night flyers. I was thinking locating the zappers close to them might be a good idea to kill off the ones that are lured in by these large, bright lights. On the other hand, putting the zappers out in the yard where its dark may lure a lot of bugs away from the buildings and their dimmer, UV colored bulbs might be more effective further away from the larger, bright lights.

Any thoughts or experience using these things?

Thanks,

amp

 

[jinman]

I would put the bug zappers about 50-75 feet from the house and let them be my floodlights. I think I'd turn off all other outside lights when they are in use except for a yellow buglight or similar non-attracting light. I know you want to keep your bright floodlights, but for the bug zappers to be effective, they need to be the only bug attractant and to also be some distance from where you are. The only way you can use them effectively is if they are only source of bug attracting light around. Turn off all other blue or white lights.

 

[teg]

Bug Zapper Lies

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[ampsucker]

thanks for the replies.

at 120 watts total consumption (only on at night) and assuming 10 hours max of darkness per night during the summer months for three months gives:

120 watts x10 hours/day x 90 days = 10800 watt hours

divided by 1000 watts per kwh gives 10.8 kwh hours. at our price of 9 cents per kwh, those bug zappers would have to be pretty useless to not be worth a dollar to run all summer.

Jim, thanks for the reply. I will try what you suggest.

What are you doing with your tractor in your avatar photo? Looks like maybe digging a pond, or possibly plowing to China! Looks dangerous!

amp

 

[swedish-fish]

I don't see many bug zappers around anymore. Have you ever seen the propane powered mosquito traps? I've never used one, but they market themselves as being much more effective. Still, that ZAP is so satisfying to hear knowing you got another one.

Howstuffworks "How Mosquito Magnets Work"

 

[patrick_g]

Mosquitoes are programed to associate a trail of warm carbon dioxide and water vapor with respiring warm blooded animals, the reproducing female's source of a blood meal. Devices using these properly as attractants (with or without octenol) can, in fact, trap and kill mosquitoes.

Lights and high voltages kills plenty bugs, just not necessarily the ones of interest. All the garden catalogs and ag stores tout purple martin houses to maintain a population of purple martins to reduce mosquito populations. There have been university studies that used video cameras to check what the purple martins are catching. It wasn't mosquitoes. The bird's favorite food seemed to be dragon flies. So the birds kill off the dragon flies which in fact do eat large numbers of mosquitoes and the net effect is that purple martins increase mosquito populations.

Mosquitoes do not migrate over large distances. The mosquitoes that are bugging you are likely hatched out quite close to you. Whatever you can do to reduce the local population takes natural diffusion of the mosquito population a while to replace. You can make a local dent in the population, a significant reduction in the population, if you employ the right methods. (lighted zappers aren't the answer)

When I was in high school I recall a drive in burger joint that had a bug getter. It was a circuline fluorescent bulb around the entrance to a large bag being filled with air by a fan. There was a circular ring shaped propane burner with the jets directed inwards. Bugs attracted to the light were drawn in by the air flow and went though the burner on the way to the bag. No poison involved. I think the bugs were dumped in with the guy's chickens who ate the singed bugs.

Sorry, There is probably no use for the zappers you have to kill mosquitoes short of smacking them with the zapper but a fly swatter would be better for that.

Do you think your toddler will drink from standing water in puddles and such? Probably not. There are chemicals to put in the water that are safe to put in watering troughs for meat animals and lactating cows. They prevent mosquitoes from breeding in watering troughs.

There is no magic bullet. You have to take a proactive stance. If you always do what you always did you will always get what you always got. To keep doing the same thing and expecting a change in results is not logical.

Pat

 

[wushaw]

I use bug zappers and feel they work on mosquitoes since I had one zapper go out once for a few weeks before getting another and mosquitoes showed up in force inside the shop till I replaced the zapper.

I run mine off a timer and run them for only 3hrs a night. I have one hanging off the far end of the shop and the other is placed on the dam of my ft. pond. I do not have any flood lights that are not on a switch since I like it dark.

Dragon flies are great mosquito eaters.

 

[dieselalles]

Bug zappers may not be too effective, but they sure make for some quality entertainment! All you need is a zapper, a lawn chair and a six pack of beer!

 

[jinman]

Jim, thanks for the reply. I will try what you suggest.

What are you doing with your tractor in your avatar photo? Looks like maybe digging a pond, or possibly plowing to China! Looks dangerous!

amp

I'm cleaning up after a dozer in the avatar photo...long story...not too dangerous...lots of fun.

BTW: I agree with everyone about bug zappers not working on mosquitos. I meant to be telling you how to get the bug zapper to attract the most bugs, not how to make it attract more mosquitos. I wish they were big enough to kill June bugs. That would be good entertainment to watch. I don't think anyone would care if we killed a few thousand June bugs every night. Our lawns would probably have less grubs and armadillos going after them too.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Another "Green" method is to put in bat houses to lure bats into your area. The bats would have a picnic instead of the bugs having you folks as a picnic. I think it was Patrick that mentioned they are attracted to the Carbon dioxide exhaled as we breath. Find a source of that to run near the zapper. Sit down in lawn chair far enough away and listen to the music (zap). I had a bucket full of them mosquito larvae. I wanted to see if bleach would kill them. Even with a high concentration of bleach them little buggers kept living.