Benefits and Weaknesses of Bug Zappers

Bug Zapper

As soon as you start to notice insects swarming around your home, it’s not uncommon to go to your local hardware store and seek out a bug zapper. Bug zappers are outdoor machines that attract insects and zap them with low amount of electricity, thus decreasing the insect population around your home and cutting down on the number of pests that may invade your property.

Bug zappers do work. After the first day, you’ll often find hundreds of insects lying on the ground, ready to be cleaned up. But they also have their struggles. Below are the benefits and weaknesses of bug zappers.

Bug Zapper Benefits

Clearly the most obvious benefit of the bug zapper is that they eliminate dozens of insects right away, and vastly reduce the insect population in your area. There may be piles upon piles of insects within a few days, and while eventually other insects will make note and come “clean up” after a night of bug zapping, there is no denying that the zappers make a big impact.

Similarly, bug zappers allow you to eliminate insects with few chemicals and little personal involvement. There is no health risk, nor is there necessarily any risk of disturbing or a nest or facing an insect you fear. Bug zappers are out of the way and have limited personal involvement. For many, that’s enough to make them a popular choice among those with pest problems.

Bug Zapper Weaknesses

Unfortunately, bug zappers are a little too good to be true. While they do eliminate hundreds of pests, they tend to only attract the most beneficial pests for your lawn, garden, and home. Mosquitoes are not generally attracted to bug zappers, and some insects – like cockroaches – do not typically fly towards them. Spiders, wasps, and other insects either do not fly at night or are not attracted to light either.

So while zappers are killing insects, they’re not typically killing the insects that you want to kill. They tend to eliminate the helpful bugs that are good for the environment and rarely cause any fears or diseases. There are some carbon dioxide patches that can be used to attract mosquitos, but they tend to be short lived and do not eliminate the entire population.

Bug zappers also attract the very insects they’re trying to kill from other yards when they may not otherwise have been attracted to your property. They also break down easily and need regular cleaning.

Overall Impressions of Bug Zappers

Bug zappers are an intriguing option for those that have a lot of insects on their property. The key is to not have high expectations. They probably won’t eliminate any of the pests you’ve been struggling with, but if your goal is to simply eliminate insects it should work.

However, if you’re struggling with any pest problem – especially mosquitoes – you’ll probably need something better than a bug zapper. For those that are interested in mosquito control or any other type of pest control service and want to receive $50 off their first treatment, make sure you contact Green Pest today.