Montana’s Mosquitoes Are Bad. Is Your Bug Zapper Actually Helping?

Earlier this spring, my spouse found some cheap UV light bug zappers online. The first one was a "free" gift from Temu or something. It broke almost immediately, so they sent a replacement a few weeks later.

The replacement has worked like a champ, all summer long. It's solar-powered (so convenient!) and turns on automatically when it gets dark.

And I was thrilled. I remember being fascinated by bug zappers when I was a kid. "Why haven't I purchased one of these sooner?" I thought.

Free electricity is nice. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

Montana mosquito season is in full swing

These late-summer nights have been great for sitting on the patio, and I love watching that blue glow attract flying bugs. And the zaps... oh, the zaps are so satisfying.

Most nights, that enticing blue light will be snapping and popping like a kid tossing a box of Snap Pops on a 4th of July sidewalk. But... Am I actually helping my backyard, or am I killing more "good" bugs than bad? 

Photo by ZX" ZAKARIA on Unsplash/Canva

A little of both.

Bug zappers use ultraviolet light to attract flying insects, which then hit the electrified grid. The problem is that mosquitoes aren't particularly interested in UV light. What they really like is the scent and signature of humans and animals.

Iowa State University noted back in 1996 that bug zappers are a poor choice for mosquito control, saying they kill relatively few mosquitoes while taking out plenty of beneficial insects.

I won't be sad if the zapper gets these. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

Here's what's getting fried in my backyard.

Potentially a whole bunch of moths, beetles, gnats, and other harmless insects. Some of those insects are actually helpful to your yard and garden and beneficial for birds and other bugs and critters up and down the food chain.

abadonian

What about pesky yellowjackets and hornets?

This time of year, those nasty buggers get especially aggressive. It seems like they know that their days are numbered.

Yellowjackets are generally daytime-active insects and aren't primarily attracted to the UV light that makes a traditional zapper work.

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Nor do these stupid wasp and hornet bag-trap things that I have placed in multiple locations. My father-in-law catches a ton of them using these traps, so your results may vary.

Credit Michael Foth, TSM

I'm not sure I can give up my bug zapper.

It turns out my bug zapper may be better at entertaining me than controlling bug bites, but I'm not ready to give up that sweet blue glow and endorphin-releasing, snap-crackle-pop just yet.