Bug zapper: How to kill mosquitoes with it!
This bug zapper may get rid of some flies and moths, but it won’t kill mosquitoes!
So you purchased and installed a bug zapper and that should get rid of those annoying mosquitoes right? Not exactly! A bug zapper, or an electric discharge insect control system attracts critters with light and then zaps them with an electric current. Sounds pretty good, except the small fact that mosquitoes aren’t particularly attracted by light, visible or UV, as proven by a study conducted by Iowa State University. The same study showed that mosquitoes are actually attracted by heat, carbon-dioxide and water vapor present in the breath of mammals.
So do you just admit that you have made a mistake and start looking for alternatives? You could, or you could simply modify your bug zapper to turn it into a mosquito killing machine! How? Keep reading!
Table of Contents
1 How to modify your bug zapper to kill mosquitoes
1.1 Step1: Take the bug zapper apart
1.2 Step 2: Put the bug zapper back together
1.3 Step 3: Do a zap test
How to modify your bug zapper to kill mosquitoes
Before you start working on this project, you need to understand that you will have to take apart an electrical equipment, make some minor modifications to it and then put it back together. Hence, you should have a level of comfort when it comes to handling electrical equipment and should be familiar with some common sense safety measures. If you have never worked on such a project before, it is highly recommended that you involve someone who has some experience in such matters.
Step1: Take the bug zapper apart
Irrespective of how much you paid for it, most bug zappers consists of two concentric cylinders made of metal screens and a fluorescent bulb within a plastic cage, which is used for protection. Take the bug zapper apart via the following steps.
Turn the bug zapper off!
Remove the plastic cage.
Remove the fluorescent bulb.
Carefully desolder the wire the connects the top of the bug zapper with the outer screen.
Gently remove the screen and any ceramic spacers that may be attached to it.
Take a piece of heavy plastic (such as landscaping plastic) and cut it to such a length that it would go around the inner screen once, with just a bit of overlap. The plastic is suppose to generate heat, which the mosquitoes will be attracted to. Hence, this step is supremely important.
Hold the plastic in place with the help of a regular office stapler. Feel free to use some electrical tape in addition to that, especially while securing the edges.
Step 2: Put the bug zapper back together
Put the ceramic spacers back where they are supposed to be.
Place the outer screen carefully, so that it forms a perfect concentric circle around the inner screen and the plastic.
Solder the wire to the outer screen.
Put the plastic screen back in its place.
Step 3: Do a zap test
This step is extremely important as it ensures that you have put back the bug zapper properly. To test it out, do the following.
Take a piece of paper towel and make one end a little moist by pouring a few drop of water.
Turn the bug zapper on!
Now carefully put the towel through the plastic cage and gently touch the outer screen with it.
If you see and feel a small zap, your bug zapper is working perfectly and it is ready to kill mosquitoes! If not, you need to investigate what the problem is. Chances are that the wires were not soldered properly.
One parting word of advice would be that you should install the modified bug zapper in such a location where kids or pets cannot easily reach it.
Did our modified bug zapper take care of your mosquito problem? Let us know in the comments below!
Bug zapper: How to kill mosquitoes with it! was originally published on freshbeak.com