Do Mosquitoes Go to Bug Zappers?
WouterDuring the summer, mosquitoes are a common nuisance. They may cause irritating bites and interrupt a peaceful night’s sleep. They can also carry disease. You can prevent them from biting you by cleaning your yard and eliminating sources of standing water.
Bug zappers are devices that kill insects. Some claim to kill mosquitoes, midges, beetles, and bats. Others say they interrupt breeding cycles. However, most bug zappers aren’t very effective at killing the types of insects that cause problems.
When using a bug zapper, you should use the correct type. In some models, the insects are trapped in a netting device. Other models allow them to fall to the ground.
The University of Delaware studied the effectiveness of bug zappers. They collected kills from a number of zappers and tested them on a mosquito population in Newark, Delaware.
The researchers found that electrocuting insects did not increase the number of mosquitoes killed. However, the bugs killed were more likely to be male mosquitoes. The results also show that mosquitoes accounted for about 4.1% of all dead bugs throughout the season.
One type of mosquito zapper releases a constant stream of carbon dioxide. This attracts female mosquitoes. When the female mosquito breathes carbon dioxide, she is more likely to bite.
Another type of mosquito zapper releases a steady stream of moisture. This attracts female mosquitoes and confuses them. Some models also emit a steady stream of octenol, which has a similar odor to human sweat.
