Hand-Held Bug Zappers

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Photo By Raymond Spencer
Practice your tennis swing while zapping garden insect pests.

I absolutely love this hand-held bug zapper and carry it to my vegetable garden to selectively electrocute a great number of unwanted pests. These “electric bug zappers” (as they are commonly referred to) look very much like a tennis racket but consist of a battery-operated electrical grid that is ready to zap bugs instantly when you press a button on the handle. They operate on two AA alkaline batteries. Simply press the “on” button and swat bugs in the air — or knock bugs onto the grid — and they’ll die instantly.

I have killed hundreds of potato beetles, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, Japanese beetles and many others while simply walking through my garden rows. It also works great as a weapon against biting insects, such as mosquitoes, deerflies, horseflies and black flies. Simply flail away and swat them in the air. Best of all, I can rid my garden of these many spoilers while posing no threat to the beneficial insects!

Raymond Spencer
Lyman, Maine

Readers, if you have tried one of these hand-held bug zappers, please post a report in the comments section below. — MOTHER EARTH NEWS

  • Published on May 13, 2013
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