• Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Home & Garden
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Video
  • Shows
  • Blogs
  • Quizzes
  • Games
  • Random Article
  • Appliances
  • Home Improvement
  • Lawn & Garden
  • Stain Removal
  • Real Estate
  • Home > 
  • Home & Garden > 
  • Home Improvement > 
  • Outdoor Living

by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Print
Cite This!
Close 
Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

Freudenrich, Ph.D., Craig.  "How Bug Zappers Work"  11 July 2001.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/bug-zapper.htm>  10 February 2012.
Cite
Feedback

Click and Watch

Check out the playlist >>

Inside this Article
  1. Introduction to How Bug Zappers Work
  2. Bug Zapper Controversies
  1. Lots More Information
  2. See all Outdoor Living articles

Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

  • How Mosquitoes Work
  • How Mosquito Magnets® Work
  • How Chiggers Work
  • How Ticks Work
  • How Fleas Work
  • How Black Lights Work
  • How Fluorescent Lamps Work
  • How Venus Flytraps Work
  • How Bats Work
  • How does the pesticide Dursban work?
  • How do flies breathe?
  • What is dioxin?

More Great Links

  • "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel
  • Suite101.com: Bug Zappers Can Spread Microbes
  • Iowa State University: Bug Zappers are Harmful, Not Helpful
  • Kansas State University: Electrocution of House Flies in Bug Zappers Releases Bacteria and Viruses
  • K-State Researchers Say Bug Zappers May Cause More Harm Than Good
Previous Page

More Great Links

Top 10 Wacky Inventions for the Home
Top 10 Wacky Inventions for the Home
10 Home Office Storage Solutions
10 Home Office Storage Solutions
Name the Price: Mansions
Name the Price: Mansions
Dollars and Sense: House Buying Quiz
Dollars and Sense: House Buying Quiz
Home Construction Pictures
Home Construction Pictures
Watch home & garden videos >>

You Might Also Like

The Ultimate Emergency Power Systems Quiz

Blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes -- natural disasters can strike at any time and take out the city's power for weeks. Forget about luxuries such as television or Internet. When the power is out food spoils, security alarms don't work, and medical equipment fails. Do you have a backup plan for these kinds of emergencies? Take our quiz to learn about the best sources of emergency power.

Saws

For cutting wood, metal, plastics, or just about any material you might encounter, a saw will do the trick. Learn all about saws, and which one is right for your home repair project.

Popular Articles

  • How do I get a stain out of wool carpeting?
  • The Ultimate Cleaning Home Air Filters Quiz
  • How to Build a Tile Shower
Inside this Article
  1. Introduction to How Bug Zappers Work
  2. Bug Zapper Controversies
  1. Lots More Information
  2. See all Outdoor Living articles
Previous Page

Money-saving Tips from Frugal Mama

FPO
  • Frugal Mama Makeover Series
  • Saving Big on Groceries
  • Home Renovations On A Tight Budget
  • Low-Cost, Thoughtful Gift Giving Tips
  • How An Expanding Family Can Trim Costs
  • Learn more frugal living tips»

Are You a Gamer?

FPO
  • Cannon Challenge
  • Memory Matrix
  • Color Match
  • Storm Tracker
  • Word Bubbles
  • Raindrops Game
  • Lost in Migration
  • Play More Games»

Related Content

Prices: Mosquito Solutions

  • Mosquito Bits, 20 lbs. Pail
    Mosquito Bits, 20 lbs. Pail

    Kills mosquito larvae for up to 30 days. Mosquito Dunks will kill mosquito larvae before they have a chance to mature into biting adults. Will not harm people, pets, wildlife or fish. Easy to Use! Once a month place dunks wherever water accumulates around your home for season-long control of mosquitoes. Each Dunk will treat up to 100 square feet of surface water no matter what the depth. For smaller areas, you can break them in half. Great for use in water gardens, flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters and decorative ponds! Safe and easy to use biological mosquito control for ponds and water gardens Controls mosquitoes, potential carriers of West Nile Virus, for 30 days EPA- registered mosquito control in all 50 states- safe for fish and plants Unused Dunks retain their potency indefinitely, so you can store them without waste. Made with Bt-israelensis (Bt-i), a specially formulated biological pesticide just for mosquitoes. To prevent water from becoming a stagnant breeding ground for mosquitoes use Standard Aeration Kit

    $139.99

  • Mosquito Barrier Liquid Spray Repellent 5 Gallon Pack, For Grassy Areas; Yards, Parks, Athletic Fields And Golf Courses, Keeps Away ticks, fleas, gnats, fire ants and black flies for nearly a month
    Mosquito Barrier Liquid Spray Repellent 5 Gallon Pack, For Grassy Areas; Yards, Parks, Athletic Fields And Golf Courses, Keeps Away ticks, fleas, gnats, fire ants and black flies for nearly a month

    Mosquito Czar's One Gallon Mosquito Barrier is a 100% Organic and natural alternative to dangerous insect repellents and pesticides. Mosquito Barrier is a highly concentrated 93.3% pure garlic extract. It is designed to be diluted in water and sprayed on lawns, landscaping, gardens and all foliage (weeds, trees, shrubs)to kill, repel and deter mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other soft bodied insects (like aphids, chiggers - red bugs) from your yard, garden or property and playing fields. When first sprayed, the natural sulfers in the Mosquito Barrier kill the mosquitoes which are struck by the spray, afterwards mosquitoes will detect the garlic sulfers and avoid entering the area for two weeks and longer. While you can not smell the garlic any longer, the mosquitoes can. Typical application for the homeowner is with a pump type sprayer (1 to 2 gallon capacity). A detailed mixing and application instruction brochure is provided with each order and includes large area and commercial fogger applications.

    $329.95

  • ULTRA Mosquito Trap
    ULTRA Mosquito Trap

    MCU-900 Top of the line Mega-Catch ULTRA Mosquito Traps successfully mimic sensory signals which attract mosquitoes and other common biting insects from as far away as 150ft. Revolutionary Mosquito-Attracting-Stimuli (MAS) settings, and there are literally thousands of options, enables the Mega-Catch ULTRA to be fine-tuned to target specific mosquito species. While Mega-Catch Mosquito Traps need no carbon dioxide (CO2) to attract mosquitoes, operation of the patented Variable Quantity Slow CO2 Gas Release System will boost capture rates. It enables the Mega-Catch ULTRA to duplicate a key feature of human/animal respiration by releasing or 'exhaling' variable amounts of CO2 into the air plume. Use of this system is entirely optional but if you are battling a challenging mosquito problem we strongly recommend that you operate the trap with CO2 as this can increase capture rates by as much as 300-400pct The Mega-Catch ULTRA mosquito trap contains all the hardware needed to connect the trap to a CO2 cylinder (not included) which can be filled at hundreds of gas supply outlets throughout North America (see operating manual for details). The trap can be further enhanced with the use of operional attractants to boost capture rates; the Mega-Catch Octenol Fragrance Strips or the Mega-Catch 3000 (Combo Lure). Features: -Maximum range - 150 feet (45m). -Maximum coverage - 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare). -Customizable Mosquito-Attracting-Stimuli (MAS) settings. -Safe 12 volt operation. -Doesn't use propane - non-toxic and environmentally friendly. -Fully assembled, safe and simple to operate. -Mega-Catch mosquito traps are subject to a one year warranty against defects in material and workmanship.. -Optional CO2 Gas Attractant System (cylinder not included).

    $549.00

HOWSTUFFWORKS
  • Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Home & Garden
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
MORE STUFF
  • Blogs
  • Games
  • HSW Tools
  • RSS
  • Maps
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Newsletters
  • Video
OUR WEBSITES
  • Animal Planet
  • Consumer Guide Auto
  • Consumer Guide Products
  • Discovery Channel
  • Discovery Fit & Health
  • HSW Brazil
  • HSW China HowStuffWorks China
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Oprah Winfrey Network
  • Planet Green
  • Science Channel
  • TLC
  • Discovery Education
  • Store
CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Help
CORPORATE
  • About Us
  • Careers @ Discovery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Visitor Agreement
TAKE US WITH YOU
FOLLOW US
© 1998-2012 HowStuffWorks, Inc