These indiscriminate electrocution devices needlessly lure countless night flying insects to their untimely deaths with the same eerie purple light used to illuminate the psychedelic posters and discos. The magnitude of the carnage is staggering. Americans buy approximately a million bug zappers annually thinking they are killing mosquitoes. 

The number of units has no doubt increased with concerns over diseases like West Nile Virus. Yet studies show that 95 percent of the insect species killed are non-biting, mostly beneficial insects. 

Researchers estimate that 71 billion to 350 billion beneficial insects, pollinators and insect predators among them, are killed annually by bug zappers across the country. Moths, an important component of the pollinator nightshift, are especially hard hit. One study showed that 250 mosquito predators were killed for every single mosquito dispatched. In one study, nearly half of the victims were caddis flies and midges. To most people, non-biting midges closely resemble their blood thirsty, disease-spreading cousins, but they lack the syringe-like mouthparts to bite and deliver pathogens. Diminishing midge populations night after night takes food away from the frogs, fish, lizards, birds and bats who also prey on mosquitoes and their larvae. 

The truth is that bug zappers simply can�t compete with humans. Given a choice, a hungry female mosquito will always be drawn to the body heat and carbon dioxide given off by a human host over the cold, bluish glow of the bug zapper. Bug zapper manufacturers aren�t pulling a fast one. They simply claim that their devices kill insects, including mosquitoes.  

A New Jersey entomologist and high school student collected and identified the kill from zappers at six sites over the course of a summer and found that nearly 14,000 insects were killed. Of these, only 31 were mosquitoes and other biting insects. Even bug zappers spiced up with chemical attractants, such as carbon dioxide or octenol are ineffective. Sonic and ultrasonic devices don�t work either. 

If local, state and federal agencies, with years of experience in mosquito control experience to their credit, don�t use these devices to control mosquitoes, why should you? 

The best method for reducing local mosquito populations is to eliminate standing water found in clogged gutters, planters, bird baths, tree holes, stumps and other unnecessary water containers. Stock garden and fish ponds with mosquito fish. Stay indoors during peak mosquito activity periods (mornings, dusk and early evening). When working outdoors use repellents with DEET and wear protective clothing. 

I recently shared some of this information with a shopper on the way to the checkout line at the hardware store. Rising out of her shopping cart was a brand new bug zapper, nestled on a bed of repellents, candles, creams and oils. At the end of our conversation she stopped, thanked me and returned the useless device to the shelf, saving $75 dollars in the process. One down, 999,999 to go. 

Tom Teeples Arranged for this article to be used in our Newsletter. Arthur Evans will be our guest speaker at the June Meeting. He is an entomologist for the State and is very knowledgeable about butterflies. Thanks Arthur.