The honest list ·
What a bug zapper catches: moths, gnats, flies and the truth about mosquitoes
We'd rather you know exactly what the blue light calls in than be surprised in August. Here is the plain list.
The ones that can't resist
Moths, gnats, midges, house flies, fruit flies and many beetles steer hard toward 365 nm light at night. They make up most of what you'll brush out of the tray.
Wasps and horse flies
Both turn up regularly, especially near barns, pools and fruit trees. Horse flies are strong fliers and a lantern near their routes thins them noticeably.
Mosquitoes: some, not all
Mosquitoes find people mostly by the carbon dioxide in our breath, by warmth and by skin scent. Light plays a smaller part. A lantern will catch mosquitoes, and a good placement keeps more of them busy away from you, but it will not empty the yard of them on its own.
What to pair it with
Tip out standing water weekly: buckets, saucers, gutters, the kiddie pool. Keep a fan on the table; mosquitoes are weak fliers. Let the lantern deal with everything else that flies at night.
Why we still hang one every evening
Because an evening with fewer moths in the light, fewer gnats at eye level and fewer flies on the food is a longer evening outside. That is the whole point.
