The hand held bug killer is the best way of clearing the space around you of insects, especially the flying ones such as mosquitoes. The indoor bug killer evaporates any insect from a mosquito to a gnat instantaneously on contact with a pleasingly loud, electrical ‘zap’!
However, this does not mean to say that the indoor insect zapper cannot be used outside, as long as it is not too wet. It should be treated like any other high voltage electrical equipment. Keep the indoor insect killer dry and please do not use it while you are standing in water!
Models do vary greatly, but there are basically only two kinds of hand held insect zapper: the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric insect killer. Both models are equally effective at killing insects and employ the same methods.
The electric insect zapper resembles a ‘junior’ tennis racquet, but with three layers of ‘strings’, which are in fact wires. The central grid of wires becomes electrified at the touch of a button, while the other two networks, one on either side, are only earths.
When a bug is caught between the wires of the indoor bug killer, it creates a short, which evaporates it instantaneously with a loud crack. The hand held bug zapper will kill other insects too, but they tend to fry rather than explode.
I have had the rechargeable sort for about five years and am extremely satisfied with the indoor bug zapper. In fact, the electric bug zapper has come a long way in the last few years. A fully charged electric bug killer is powerful enough to last for several hundred swipes and will hold it’s charge, if unused, for weeks without any significant discharge.
The battery recharge unit will take intensive use for the best part of a year, although its ability to hold a charge for several weeks gradually reduces after six or seven months.
The latest indoor insect zapper I’ve used has a main on/off switch, an LED that comes on when it is activated (the brightness of this light also gives an indication of the battery’s strength) and an LED that comes on when it is plugged in for recharge.
The instructions suggest that it should be (re)charged for sixteen hours. I usually put it on charge over night once or twice every week or two, although the hand held insect killer shows a marked increase in performance with only a couple of hours charging.
The latest model I’ve used also comes with a powerful beam called a ‘headlamp’. I have found this very handy when walking in the garden, but I’m unsure whether it’s supposed to lure the mosquitoes in the dark so that you can zap them if you’re feeling bored or just vindictive, rather like an Anglerfish.
I’ve used the headlamp on my hand held insect zapper for that reason too, but the light uses a lot of battery power. All in all, the electric insect killer is a huge asset at any outdoor event. The indoor bug killer is useful for ‘clearing’ your bedroom before retiring; it’s unbeatable for killing evening mosquitoes and it will eradicate wasps at a lunch table too.
Have you ever used an indoor bug zapper? If you haven’t, or if you want to get an electronic insect killer, please click one of the links to our web site or blog. Also published at Hand-held Mosquito Zapper.
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