연락처 : VH 이메일 : stephainecarpentier@hotmail.co.uk

Every night time, a mass murderer stalks the darkness of America’s suburbs. An eerie blue glow lures hapless victims from their properties. The doomed souls, mesmerized by the sunshine, throng to their deaths in sizzling blasts of electricity. I’m talking about the bug zapper. Many people use the gadget to rid themselves of mosquitoes and different pests. "Kill flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and wasps," touts Black and Decker. Flowtron will help eliminate flying pests over as much as "2 acres" for just $315. Another advertises itself as an "eco-friendly" solution to "instantly kill" mosquitoes. The issue? None of these claims are true, scientists say. In truth, bug zappers make it extra likely you’ll be bitten by mosquitoes while sitting in your backyard. "When it comes to mosquitoes, bug zappers don’t work," says James Fordyce, an entomologist on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Bug zappers are distinctive killers of bugs - simply not the ones that bite you. Among the many hundreds of insects these units electrocute every night, virtually all are harmless.

One examine estimated even a fraction of the bug zappers bought in the United States kill more than 70 billion insects annually - with no discernible affect on mosquitoes or other biting insects. This pointless slaughter of native insect populations may be hastening the decline of species, the insect apocalypse. I talked to consultants about why bug zappers are a really unhealthy thought to eliminate mosquitoes - and what works as a substitute. Bug zappers purport to work by attracting mosquitoes, typically utilizing a lightbulb that emits ultraviolet light, Defender by Zap Zone or sometimes carbon dioxide or chemical bait. Yet research show just about 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 evening: 10,000 insects. Just eight have been mosquitoes. Similar research reflected those findings. Around the identical time, researchers on the University of Delaware used a bug zapper to trap 13,789 insects over a summer.

Only 31 - 0.22 p.c - had been biting insects similar to mosquitoes and gnats. What did it kill? Beneficial bugs, mostly. Roughly half the victims - 6,670 insects - were harmless aquatic species from nearby rivers and streams, fish food in the aquatic food chain. Most of the others had been parasitic wasps and beetles that naturally prey on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes usually are not fooled by zappers as a result of, along with other bloodsucking insects, they have advanced to house in on animals’ exhaled carbon dioxide, not ultraviolet mild, scientists say. Even when mosquitoes are drawn in Defender by Zap Zone a bug zapper, they are going to instantly redirect their consideration to their favourite foods: warmblooded mammals, especially humans. And Colorado State University’s extension service has reached the identical conclusion: "No controlled scientific research has shown that these units reduce mosquito biting rates outdoors," it states on its website. None responded with material supporting their claims after a number of inquiries.

Black and Decker referred all inquiries to a contract producer, which also did not respond. These claims not only mislead patrons by ignoring scientific proof, however they may create a false sense of safety for people who use these devices to protect in opposition to mosquito-borne diseases within the United States, Fordyce mentioned. "If one would like to keep away from being bit, a repellent is the solution," he says. "Even if zappers worked … The FTC, whereas not commenting on the companies’ advertising and marketing statements, noted that it had investigated deceptive statements and security points up to now issuing warning letters and filing instances in opposition to manufacturers of other kinds of pest control, equivalent to ultrasonic gadgets. FTC officials advisable the general public submit any complaints through their website. What does repel mosquitoes? Bug zappers are just one in all many suspect merchandise promising to get rid of biting insects: ultrasonic devices, propane-fired CO2 traps, and pesticide misters are amongst those that don't work, or do extra hurt than good, in keeping with Texas A&M.