Facts about zappers- A threat to the public health
Update£º2016/3/1 16:23:22 View£º
Would you like flies with that burger?
K-STATE ( Kansas State University) RESEARCHERS SAY BUG ZAPPERS MAY CAUSE MORE HARM
THAN GOOD
To battle these winged-nuisances, many people have installed or use an electrocuting insect trap or bug zapper. While the sizzling "zzzap" of the fly being fried -- or any other
unfortunate insect lured to its jolting demise by this shocking siren.
"The bug zapper is probably not the method of choice of killing insects because it might actually
aggravate the situation, in terms of a microbial spread," said James Urban, a K-State associate
professor of biology.
Shower of microorganisms including viruses.
According to a team of researchers at Kansas State University, that sound may also signal the potential
for a shower of microorganisms including viruses cascading onto the surrounding area. Because of the
airborne bacteria and virus-laden particles produced by the explosion of these electrocuted insects, the researchers recommend they
not be used in food handling areas, hospitals, daycare facilities or any variety of places where the control
of insects is important.
"We're compounding the problem rather than solving it because the operation of these bug zappers
results in the generation of high numbers of airborne insect particles," Broce said. "That presents an
additional problem because we can breathe those particles, and it is well documented that insect
particles can be very allergenic."
According to the researchers, internally contaminated flies, or those that have bacteria and viruses in
their digestive canals, are less likely to spread them because the microorganisms are on the inside of
the fly. Urban said the increased distribution of organisms on the fly surface is potentially significant
because the surface contamination is most likely to result from the flies moving about on filth such as
feces.
Urban said although only about 1 in 10 million of the viruses in the fly's digestive canals are released
upon electrocution, the released viruses and bacteria can be spread over a great distance.
According to Broce, manufacturers are moving away from using traps with electric grids. Newer traps
capture and kill insects using an adhesive board behind a light to attract the insects. Broce said these
models can be modified to be just as efficient as those with electric grids.