One of our top priorities is safety. Houses must be safe from burglars, floods, or fires. This is because they must be a haven.
While we go on with our lives, there will be insects that will test your patience. If you already prepared the front porch for a team meeting or the back porch for a special family dinner but insects kept on flying around, you’d surely want a bug zapper to do its job.
Here you will learn whether or not a bug zapper can cause fire, how many bugs it will attract, the cost of electricity, and how safe to use it. Find out which features to consider in choosing a bug zapper.
We also answered other common questions about bug zappers’ safety and mosquitoes’ attractiveness to UV light.
Bug Zapper: Fire Hazard Or Not?
An electrical appliance has the potential of causing a fire. Bug zappers are bird feeder-looking devices that do not really become fire hazards. They are one of the UL-tested electrical products like washers, lamps, radios, and alarm clocks.
Since bug zappers can be placed outdoors, you have to give attention to the part that electric cords must not be overly wet. Thus, this might cause a short circuit.
Zappers lure bugs using ultra-violet light. They will go near the light when they get attracted. Then, they get zapped by the electrical current brought by the grids.
This killing machine transforms from 120 volts to 2000 volts. It’s so powerful that it explodes the bugs when zapped. It prevents the accumulation of dead carcasses at the bottom of the zapper.
Those carcasses can be fire hazards. Although, these are not enough to start a fire outdoors. Good thing that it’s less likely to happen on bug zappers.
The concern comes in when bug zappers become counterproductive. They often include harmless bugs rather than focusing on mosquitoes. Overall, they are very useful when placed outdoors.
Attracts More Bugs
Bug zappers attract more mosquitoes into your yard. This is because of the UV light inside the zappers. However, these attracted bugs will end up getting killed.
Bug zappers are made to kill insects. It will kill a large number of harmless bugs, even the beneficial ones. Any bugs that fly and can make their way near the zapper light will be killed. Bug zappers also attract crawling insects such as ants and non-flying beetles.
Getting rid of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are more attracted to the carbon dioxide and water vapor from your body rather than UV light or mercury lighting from the zappers. Other bugs are attracted to UV light instead.
Basically, it doesn’t kill the right bugs perfectly. They’re supposed to only get rid of mosquitoes and other biting insects.
Cost of Electricity When Used
Bug zappers can be turned 24/7. It’s efficient to turn it on all throughout the week. According to research, you are breaking the breeding cycle of insects. Thus, this is preventing them from multiplying.
Since a bug zapper uses as much as 100 watts of electricity, it will cost you a couple of cents per day. If you use two of them and leave them all night, it cost more than 30 cents of electricity per day.
If you want to save costs, you can turn them off during the day. Try to look for newly designed, electric-saving bug zappers. For sure, they will still be as much effective as the traditional ones.
Using Bug Zapper All The Time
You can use the bug zapper day and night without turning it off. They are weather-proof and can operate outdoors for as long as sockets are well-covered.
Harmful Or Safe
The UV light it produces is not harmful to humans. When a human touches the grids inside the zapper, it can be shocking but doesn’t cause any human death.
According to research, a bug zapper only kills a small percentage of insects that can be damaging to health. They even kill beneficial insects.
Choosing The Best Bug Zapper
Bug zappers have been present for a long time ago. There are already different types of bug zappers in the market.
The early prototype was electric light and a bait encased within a cage. The cage is electrified so that the insects attracted to the light and bait will be electrocuted.
As of today, the new designs follow the same concept. Bug zappers these days still feature UV light that attracts most insects. They can barely resist it so they will go near the cage and get killed.
The dead bodies of insects drop down to the collection tray. Since it’s removable, it can be emptied as often as possible.
Here are the best features you can look at a bug zapper before buying for your home:
1. Power Source
The majority of bug zappers can be plug-in into the electric socket. Check on the outdoor part of your home to see if there’s an exterior outlet available. You can alternatively use an extension cord.
There are battery-operated bug zappers. They are perfect for camping trips or any other outdoor activities for they are lightweight and very portable. Battery-operated bug zappers can be hung on trees or placed on tables.
Racquet-type zappers are cheaper above all. They are battery-operated and rechargeable. These are commonly called to locals as “swatters” that shock any bug that comes near you.
The newest and most-versatile type are outdoor bug zappers. Their source is the sunlight. Just place the bug zapper under the sun to charge the internal batteries.
2. Indoor Versus Outdoor
Outdoor bug zappers are bigger and have a much larger collection tray than indoor ones. They both perform the same function but outdoor ones can withstand many elements. Electric bug-zapper are the best units for patio or seating area.
Indoor bug zappers sometimes feature white UV lights while outdoors usually have violet UV lights. Indoor bug zappers are usually on wall fixtures or countertop units.
Make sure to check the labels before buying. Then, you will see where to best place the bug zapper you’re buying.
3. Shock Value
The bug zappers transform into higher volts when insects go near the grid. There’s a plastic part of the cage to prevent your fingers from touching the electrified grid. Thus, you will prevent yourself from shocking.
The racquet-type bug zapper is shaped like a tennis racquet. It has a button on the side which you can control. Swing the head to the fly or any other insects to zap them.
Just be careful of the grid because you’ll easily zap your finger in it. Keep your children or pets away from these types of bug zappers. They might think of it as a toy.
4. Bait
The University of Delaware studied bug zappers. They found out that most insects killed are non-biting insects such as the insects mentioned above.
Some bug zapper owners use bait containing chemicals to increase their devices’ effectiveness. Mosquitoes find human breath and sweat more irresistible.
The additional lures can be placed inside the bug zapper and on the collection tray. The lure can attract more mosquitoes for up to 3 months.
You may also hunt the mosquitoes yourself using a handheld zapper. A racket-style zapper is best for indoor uses.
5. Coverage Area
This is a special feature you should try to observe. Look at the labels of bug zappers you’re choosing from. See if they mentioned the area covered by the bug zapper.
There is no standard set by the industry. But, a large coverage would mean that your bug zapper is brighter for the insects to see even if they’re still at a distance.
Did you know that bug zappers are listed by the U.S? Environmental Protection Agency as “pesticide devices”? Although they do not reprimand manufacturers that make false claims about their products, there may be exaggerations that will occur.
Conclusion
Our homes must be maintained as a peaceful and safe place for us to rest all throughout the night. When annoying insects come to destroy our peaceful sleep, it’s best to attract them to our bug zapper.
Leaving the bug zappers overnight will not cause us any harm. They are not a fire hazard that may cause a fire in our place. In fact, they are UL-tested like any other devices like alarm clocks, lamps, and radios.
Bug zappers are capable of killing any bugs that come inside of their electric grids. It kills both crawling and flying insects. Supposedly we target killing only the biting insects like mosquitoes but unfortunately, they kill other harmless, non-biting insects like the moths.
Mosquitoes aren’t as attracted to UV light compared to other insects. They’re much attracted to human breath and sweat but this doesn’t mean bug zappers are ineffective. Sometimes, the owner needs to add some lures to finally kill all mosquitoes coming by.
Choosing a bug zapper must be well-thought. It’s an investment along with other devices at home. It also needs to be maintained and it costs a lot.
Therefore, be sure to check the power source, indoor/outdoor use, shock value, bait, and coverage area. These are the features you need to keep an eye on when shopping for a bug zapper.
Overall, a bug zapper is safe from starting a fire. Just be sure to carefully hide the cord and the socket to avoid any further accidents.
How Do Bug Zappers Work
