Efforts to control these pests and potential disease vectors over the years have ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime. Our previous reliance on chemicals as the primary means of mosquito control led to overuse and resistance in the mosquitoes. Today's concern over the environmental effects of pesticides has brought about renewed interest in non-traditional methods of control. Although seductively simple at first glance, many of these methods have been evaluated in controlled studies and have been found wanting in nearly all cases. Some of the more popular non-traditional control measures are outlined below.
Bug zappers do indeed kill some mosquitoes.
However, the only two controlled studies conducted to date by independent investigators showed that mosquitoes comprised merely 4.1 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively, of the daily catch over an entire season. Even more important was the finding in both studies that there was no significant difference in the number of mosquitoes found in yards with or without bug zappers. What is particularly disconcerting, however, is the number of non-pest insects that comprise the vast majority of trap catch. Many of these insects are beneficial predators on other insect pests. They, in turn, constitute a major part of the diet of many songbirds.