Bug Zapper

[Stacy]

Hi everyone, I know that I haven't posted much at all, but I have been enjoying all your great ideas.
Anyway, I got a bug zapper on freecycle. After reading about them online, I realized why the person may have been giving it away. Bug zappers apparently do not work well to get rid of mosquitos, but instead, they kill mostly harmless aquatic insects that don't bother people. Now I have a bug zapper that I don't want, and I'd rather not give it away if it's not such a great thing for the environment.
What do you think? Is there any way I could repurpose the bug zapper or its parts? Or do you think I should just give it away and stop obsessing?

[loosechickens]

There are some things, IMHO, that if you can't take them apart and use components for some other purpose, or repurpose them in some way, really ARE most appropriately thrown away. Perhaps the metal could go for recycling, or any plastic parts, but those bug zappers truly ARE really bad in an environmental sense, since they seldom kill the insects you WANT killed, and are terribly efficient in killing the helpful members of the insect community, and those most harmless.

I vote neither for keeping it or passing it on, but getting rid of it in a way that will not allow it to be used for its purpose again. JMHO

[Stacy]

Thanks, loosechickens. I'm leaning toward the idea of finding other uses for the parts. I hate to throw things away, which is why I usually put a lot more thought into what I bring into the house than I did this time. I'd like to try to use the light bulb for something, and I'm sure that the cage-like outer shell can be used for something useful. What, I don't know yet.

[Mrs-M]

I like LC's take, but I'm leaning towards getting rid of the bug zapper in it's entirety, i.e. working state, so you can recoup lost money, then reinvest it in one of the new bug zappers that are made more specifically for mosquitoes and biting insects, with external bait that contains excessive carbon dioxide on the bottom of the lamp, that leads into the light.

[Stacy]

Fortunately, I got it for free! It's a good reminder to not bring things into my house without giving it some thought. It's so much easier to acquire some things than it is to get rid of them. I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't get quite mosquitoey enough in my backyard to make it worthwhile to spend the money on one, so I'll just find some way to get rid of this and be done with it.

[rosarugosa]

There's a product called Thermacell that I love. Mine just died after 5 - 7 years; I need to get a new one. It's a little gadget that costs about $20. and uses small butane cartridges. It repels mosquitoes from an area of 15' x 15'. It really works. I'm glad we're not killing all the little bloodsuckers, because we love the bats and dragonflies that feed on them. So to me this is the perfect solution - it just creates a magic forcefield around us to keep the skeeters from feeding on us. The replacement cartridges are a little bit pricey, but I consider it money well spent.

http://www.amazon.com/ThermaCELL-MR-G-Cordless-Repellent-Appliance/dp/B0031ESIVK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_C?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2660GQW7Z0JTR&colid=1WZB8S690RARF