How Does a Bug Zapper Work?
2,000 Serious Volts A bug zapper consists of a cylindrical frame with a light bulb inside it. This light bulb is of the fluorescent variety and is typically either neon, mercury, or ultraviolet in nature. This bulb is designed to lure the insects that will be killed by the zapper. They also have two wire mesh screens wrapped around the inside of the zapper. The screen carries electric voltage that zaps the insects. A transformer attached to this grid steps up the standard household voltage to 2,000 volts or more. The Bug Completes the Electrical Circuit There are tiny gaps between the electrified wires of the mesh, just large enough for insects to fly through. A bug closes the circuit as it flies through this mesh, and the electricity instantly destroys it. The outside of the device is covered so people and large animals cannot get close to the actual voltage. Thousands of Bugs Zapped Bug zappers are capable of killing thousands of bugs each evening, but they do not pick and choose whi