Mosquitolessexploring options in mosquito killers, repellents, and control

The indoor bug zapper is the best way of clearing the area around you of insects, especially the flying ones like mosquitoes. The indoor insect killer vaporizes any insect from a mosquito to a gnat instantly on contact with a pleasingly loud, electrical 'crack'!

However, this does not mean to say that the hand held bug killer cannot be operated outside, as long as it is not raining. It should be treated like any other high voltage electrical equipment. Keep the hand held bug killer dry and please do not use it while you are standing in the pool!

Models do vary a lot, but there are really only two types of indoor insect killer: the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric bug killer. Both are equally effective at killing insects and work on the same principle.

The indoor insect killer resembles a 'kids' tennis racquet, but with three sets of 'strings', which are in fact wires. The central network of wires becomes live at the touch of a button, while the other two grids, one on either side, are only earths.

When a bug is trapped between the wires of the indoor insect zapper, it creates a short, which evaporates it instantly with a loud crack and a flash. The indoor insect zapper will kill other bugs too, but they tend to burn instead of just disappear.

I have had the rechargeable kind for about five years and am extremely satisfied with the electric bug zapper. In fact, the electric bug zapper has come a long way over the last few years. A fully charged hand held bug zapper is strong enough to last for several hundred swipes and will hold it's charge, when unused, for weeks without any appreciable discharge.

The battery recharge pack will take intensive use for the best part of a year, although its ability to hold a charge for a few weeks slowly diminishes after six or seven months.

The latest indoor insect killer I've used has a main on/off switch, a light that comes on when it is activated (the brightness of this light also gives an indication of the battery's strength) and a light 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 indoor bug killer shows a marked increase in performance with only a couple of hours charging.

The latest model I've had also comes with a strong beam called a 'headlamp'. I have found this very handy when out in the garden, but I'm unsure whether it's supposed to lure the mosquitoes in the dark so that you can kill them if you're feeling bored or just vindictive, rather like an Anglerfish.

I've used the headlamp on my hand held insect killer for that reason too, but the light uses a lot of battery power. All in all, the hand held bug zapper is a big asset to any outdoor event. The indoor bug killer is useful to 'clean out' your bedroom before retiring; it's unequalled for evening mosquitoes and it will clear a lunch table of wasps as well.