Photo courtesy USDA/ARS Aedes aegypti mosquito

While you have fun outdoors, many insects get to enjoy a good meal. Either they're eating your food or they're eating you. To clear your yard of these insects, you can try a variety of devices, ranging from simple Citronella candles to elaborate traps to pesticides (such as Dursban) to electronic bug zappers.

A bug zapper, more formally known as an electronic insect-control system or electrical-discharge insect-control system, lures bugs into it and kills them with electricity. In this article, we will examine the parts of a bug zapper, learn how this device works and discuss the controversies surrounding its use. We'll also look at some other bug-control devices that may make your time outdoors more pleasant.

	Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide and pheromones. The latest bug solutions use these to create a fatal attraction, making traditional zappers obsolete. Click here to learn more.