Trying To Kill Mosquitoes? > 자유게시판

Every night, a mass assassin stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their houses. The doomed souls, electric bug zapper mesmerized by the light, electric bug zapper throng to their deaths in scorching blasts of electricity. I’m talking about the bug zapper for camping zapper. Many individuals use the device to rid themselves of mosquitoes and different pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and cordless bug zapper Decker. Flowtron will assist remove flying pests over as much as "2 acres" for simply $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" method to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The problem? None of these claims are true, scientists say. In actual fact, electric bug zapper zappers make it extra possible you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes whereas sitting in your yard. "When it comes to mosquitoes, bug zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, an entomologist at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are exceptional killers of bugs - simply not those that chew you. Among the 1000's of insects these devices electrocute every night, nearly all are harmless.

One examine estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers offered within the United States kill more than 70 billion insects yearly - with no discernible impact on mosquitoes or other biting insects. This pointless slaughter of local insect populations may be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to experts about why bug zappers are a very unhealthy idea to eliminate mosquitoes - and what works as an alternative. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, typically using a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet light, or electric bug zapper generally carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet studies show virtually no mosquitoes or different biting insects ever enter a zapper. In 1997, the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the demise toll from one bug zapper over a single night: 10,000 insects. Just eight have been mosquitoes. Similar studies mirrored these findings. Around the same time, researchers on the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to entice 13,789 insects over a summer time.

Only 31 - 0.22 % - were biting insects akin to mosquitoes and gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, mostly. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - were harmless aquatic species from close by rivers and streams, fish food in the aquatic meals chain. Many of the others had been parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes should not fooled by zappers as a result of, electric bug zapper along with other bloodsucking insects, they've advanced to dwelling in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet mild, scientists say. Even if mosquitoes are drawn in by a bug zapper, they'll 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 shown that these gadgets reduce mosquito biting charges outdoors," it states on its webpage. None responded with materials supporting their claims after a number of inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all questions to a contract manufacturer, which also did not reply. These claims not solely mislead consumers by ignoring scientific evidence, however they might create a false sense of safety for people who use these gadgets to guard in opposition to mosquito killer-borne diseases in the United States, Fordyce said. "If one would like to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the answer," he says. "Even if zappers labored … The FTC, while not commenting on the companies’ advertising and marketing statements, famous that it had investigated deceptive statements and safety points in the past issuing warning letters and filing instances in opposition to manufacturers of other forms of pest control, akin to ultrasonic units. FTC officials really helpful the public submit any complaints by way of their website. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are simply one of many suspect products promising to get rid of biting insects: ultrasonic gadgets, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are among those that don't work, or do extra harm than good, according to Texas A&M.