Will a Bug Zapper Hurt Humans? (7 Things You Should Know)

If there are lots of bothersome insects in your outside space, a bug zapper may be a very pleasing addition. They are put in place to draw in and get rid of biting insects, but may they hurt our loved ones or us?

Although there are some slight direct and indirect negative effects on human health from bug zappers, neither the electricity nor UV light are to blame.

According to studies, they are more successful at getting rid of helpful insects than biting ones and may even encourage the growth of mosquitoes nearby.

Also, when they electrocute insects like flies, they burst, unleashing allergies, contagious viruses, and germs.

Despite scientific evidence that insect zappers are ineffective and sometimes hazardous, user satisfaction with this device is quite high. Regardless of your feelings against them, we will provide you with all the information you need to make the best decisions for your house.

Although there are many different types of insect zappers available, the most well-liked ones all have the same fundamental layout. The devices employ a UV light to draw the insects into an electric grid where they are then zapped.

We need a deeper understanding of these elements in order to comprehend the immediate health dangers.

One. UV Bug Zapper Lights
We all wear sunglasses and sunscreen when we are at the beach because we are aware that UV light may be harmful to our skin and eyes. As a result, some customers are concerned that the bug zappers would have the same consequences when they learn that UV light is used to attract insects.

Despite certain news reports linking bug zappers to malicious activity, there is minimal cause for concern. UV- or near-ultraviolet light is used in household bug traps. a light with a wavelength between 325 and 400 nm, often known as black light.

Many bug traps use near-UV and yellow light at night because these wavelengths naturally attract insects.

2. Grid Electrical Bug Zapper
While the light draws insects, the majority of the job is done by the electric grid that surrounds them. There are 3000 to 4000 volts packed into this "death grid."

In order to protect people, insect zappers are frequently contained in an outside, non-electrified grid. Yet, because to the size of the charge, it effectively explodes any insects that come into touch with it.

In commercial and residential contexts, the electric grid effectively eliminates insects, but may they hurt us as well?

Are Bug Zappers Dangerous for People?
Bug zappers are a safe substitute for pesticides and other chemical insect control methods that have been shown to be harmful to human health.

Bug zappers do have certain hazards, while being significantly safer than the chemicals that cause cancer and other chronic diseases. As we will see later, the majority of hazards do not directly result from the use of zappers.

How dangerous are bug zapper lights?
Black light in the near-ultraviolet range is used by bug zappers, as was already said, to attract insects.

As they have been used for more than 75 years, these lights are usually regarded as secure. A 2016 research recreated high exposure circumstances, such as spending a lot of time near to the unit, and discovered no adverse health consequences.

The study found that the units' light radiation exposure was safe and only a small portion of what we normally experience. So, it won't damage you or your family if you gaze at the lights on domestic insect zappers.

Also, since you don't want to stand close to the light, the exposure should be lower than in the trials above. Being close to the light would indicate that you are attracted to the insects since they are drawn to it.

How Does Touching an Electric Bug Zapper Affect You?
What about the electrical grid, then, if the light is secure? Would it harm my kids if they come in contact with it?

The brief electrical pulse you would experience even if you came into touch with the killing grid would not badly hurt you. Bug zappers have never been reported to cause significant harm or death.

The Amps kill you even though 3,000 to 4,000 volts sound like a lot (the outlets in your home only carry approximately 120 volts). Just two amps are used by bug zappers to provide an uncomfortable jolt, not enough to harm you.

Are Bug Zappers Risky for Your Health?
What health hazards do these gadgets pose if neither the zappers' light nor the electric killing grid actually endanger people? The use of insect zappers poses a number of indirect health hazards, including:

increased insect attractiveness in the region
the destruction of helpful insects
exposure to viruses and microorganisms in the air
Here, we'll elaborate on each of them.

1. The Draw of More Insects
There will be more insects in an area with a bug zapper than one without because the UV lights they utilize attract them.

Backyards in Indiana with and without electric insect zappers were compared in a research conducted in 1982. They discovered that people sitting in yards with insect zappers attracted mosquitoes more than people in yards without.

Contrary to the manufacturer's promises, they came to the conclusion that after 11 days, the devices did not finally succeed in reducing the localized populations of biting insects.

By luring more of the bothersome, disease-carrying mosquitoes you are trying to get rid of, a bug zapper in your yard might inadvertently endanger your family.

To draw bugs away from you, the device's designers advise positioning them 30 feet from the seating area. It appears that there is disagreement on whether or not this is successful.

The lesson here is to avoid using a bug zapper where you are seated if you do decide to use one.

2. The eradication of helpful insects
Just 3.3% of the insects destroyed by the zappers in the aforementioned 1982 research were female mosquitoes. The remainder comprised several useful insects, such as mosquito predators or plant pollinators.

More beetles, fireflies, and moths were killed by bug zappers than mosquitoes. The environment surrounding you may suffer long-term negative repercussions as a result of these insects dying off, which might result in an increase in pest species in your neighborhood.

3. Exposure to Pathogens & Airborne Microbes
The bacteria and pathogens emitted when the bugs die are the health risk associated with utilizing bug zappers that is most worrying.

The energy that the bugs get at around 4,000 volts causes many of them to burst. While the user will feel satisfied, they run the danger of breathing in the bugs' aerosolized contents.

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