How Good Are Solar Bug Zappers | We have bad news for bugs
Everything’s solar these days. For a good reason!
As humanity is ever concerned about finding means of renewable energy:
Many of us are joining along. Some of us just want to save some money on electricity. Whatever your motivation is, solar is good!
Solar bug zappers work well, in fact just as well as, and sometimes better than ordinary bug zappers. Many also come with the option of using a wall charger or USB connection.
Solar bug zappers normally work by charging during the day and running at night.
And they’re usually quite effective at drastically reducing the insect population of your garden.
How They Work
Solar bug zappers work just like regular non-solar bug zappers.
Using UV light and potentially carbon dioxide emissions as well as a chemical known as octanol.
(This is basically the human sweat chemical.)
Solar bug zappers attract a variety of insects to them.
(Bad ones, and good ones, I might add.)
And when these insects pass through the zapper, they complete a circuit and are zapped.
A solar bug zapper might work solely on solar power, or have a hybrid solution.
It may be both connected to a wall socket and running on solar power.
It then uses solar power preferentially and reverts to the alternative when needed.
Picking the Right Solar Bug Zapper For You
Well, it depends on two things:
- Your needs.
- And, your budget.
If you only have a small yard, then an easily transportable portable bug zapper will do the trick.
Many come with a built-in light so that you can switch between UV light and regular light.
This is very convenient if you want to use it as a torch.
Or just need some extra light while sitting outside with friends.
If you’ve got a bigger budget, and have a bigger area to cover, there are much larger and consequentially, more effective options.
These can act as either highly effective mosquito and insect killers, or as bright garden lights.
Big or small, how long the UV lights last depends on the capacity of the solar panel.
And how much sunlight it was able to get during the day.
Some also only work for a few hours up to 8 hours.
Others should work through the night. There are also some non-solar options you might want to consider if you find them to be too expensive or impractical.
The best solar bug zapper ultimately depends on your unique needs.
Are Regular Bug Zappers Better Than Solar Ones?
Not particularly, but it depends on which you get.
Some solar bug zappers are too weak.
And the battery simply does not have enough charge in it for the zapper to make any meaningful impact.
But if you’re willing to spend just a little extra, it could end up saving you in the long run.
Electricity is notoriously costly.
And reducing your expenses one item at a time makes a meaningful impact in the long run.
And it’s indirectly good for the environment.
(Not the bug-killing part so much, but the electricity-saving part, for sure.)
Are They Safe To Use?
Aside from potentially getting a little bit of a shock if you handle it incorrectly:
It’s not likely to pose any danger.
(If it’s not shocking you, however, there may be a technical fault.)
Solar bug zappers are completely safe.
There have been no known cases of someone dying from a bug zapper of any kind.
The biggest risk lies in that bugs will often explode when they’re zapped.
As a result, their disease-carrying bacteria is left around the zapper.
But this is easily rectified by keeping it away from where you eat and spend time at.
I’d Get One
If you’re looking to get a bug zapper, a solar one is a good choice.
In the long run it’ll be saving you money, and it’s quite a nifty gadget to have.
And best yet, most of them switch off to charge during the day automatically.
So all you ever really need to do is clean.
How’s that for nifty?
Frequently Asked Questions
Are solar bug zappers effective?
Yes, and some are extremely effective. It depends on the brand of bug zapper that you buy, and whether it’s appropriate for what you intend it for. A small handheld solar bug zapper won’t work well in a big yard.
Do solar-powered bug zappers work during the day?
They’re normally designed to charge during the day and work at night. But you can run them at either time. And many have an option to plug them into a wall socket if the solar power is finished.
Who makes the best solar bug zapper?
Elechome makes very good bug zappers. In fact, their Electric Solar Mosquito Killer has a voltage output of up to 3000 volts. That’s very high for a solar bug zapper!
