Beneficial Insects Killed By UV Zapper Subject: Bug Zappers Date: Monday, 16 Dec 1996 10:42:00 From: DONALD BAUMGARTNER BAUMGARTNER.DONALD@epamail.epa.gov Reply To: mosquito-l@iastate.edu In the recent (November 1996) issue of Buzz Words (a Florida mosquito Control newsletter) a mention was made of an article published in Entomological News [Vol. 107 (2): 77-82] recently pertaining to a study of other insects killed by "bug zappers". This one may be worth acquiring to file away for future reference. The results are not new but do substantiate an earlier similar study. A survey of insects electrocuted during routine use of these electric light traps revealed that only 31 (0.22%) of the 13,798 insects were biting flies. 48.4% of the insects were non-biting aquatic insects and 13.5% were considered as insect predators or parasites. The authors calculate that between 71-350 billion beneficial insects are killed annually by bug zappers in the U.S. Donald Baumgartner US EPA Region 5