@cengland0
Not actually true from my understanding. Think blacklight or tanning beds. They are just inefficient light sources. For a UV light source to be completely invisible, you’d need an expensive single frequency emitter.
And why would you? With a 400-405nm emitter, you can tell if it’s on or if the light failed.
By definition, ultraviolet light is ‘beyond violet light’ and the visible spectrum that can be detected by the human eye. It cannot, therefore, be seen directly. Detectors that are sensitive to UV convert it into a form that we can see.
Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Although UV waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects, such as bumblebees, can see them. This is similar to how a dog can hear the sound of a whistle just outside the hearing range of humans.
@cengland0@thebigtverberg I think the jist was, it can emit both UV and visible light simultaneously. Hence the reference to a 400-405nm wavelength emitter.
@altoidbox
Precisely. It CAN be emitting UV even though you see some light. Therefore saying that if you can see light, that there is no UV, is not necessarily true.
I would guess there is a way to just have purple LEDS to fake the effect…but the 400-405nm emitters are only like a buck from what I found.
@hchavers There is something very satisfying about an insect electric chair. The sparks, the crackle as the pests are incinerated. I wish they made a similar device for rodents. The ones available are little dark boxes where the mouse disappears never to be heard from again. Throughout the ages there was always something cleansing about a public execution. So what if you have to sweep up the mess afterwards? Don’t hunters stuff and mount their kill? It’s nice to see how many pests will no longer be bothering the world, the fruits of your labor so to speak.
@Dog19026@hchavers
I grew up with those big blue mosquito lamps in our yard. We had two my dad put out every summer. The zapping becomes a very calming sound when you get used to it it. One night we herd the zapping going execution style, by the time the smoke cleared from it we could see a chipmunk had climbed up it and it looked like the cat from Christmas Family Vacation.
@hchavers I’d love to see that on Shark Tank. Come in describing it as a seasoning shaker and let each of the “sharks” sprinkle some food and enjoy the samples…then tell them the other use for these and get ready to run.
Also, the bugs that do get attracted in will only be trapped and dead if the thing can stay running for like an hour after they get sucked in there, so they dehydrate and die. Otherwise they’ll fly away when the batteries die.
The good thing is if it doesn’t work for those who actually buy this crap will be able to use it to keep cool while the sanitize for COVID. Maybe that is if the UV thing even works. Actually the fan would have to be tampered with to effectively keep you cool as you attempt to sanitize.
@whomeyesu This won’t sanitize anything… it’s probably just 400nm purple LEDs that touch the top of the UV spectrum. Just like all the fake “COVID-19 disinfection wands” out there. Low wavelength UV-C is what disinfects.
$20.00 ea at amazon but include a 120 volt wallwart. I thought like ladybugs are attracted to uv? Why do i want to kill ladybugs and fireflies? To hasten the mass extinction?
As others have said, UV does NOTHING to attract blood suckers, it only attracts pollinators. Come on meh, get your shit in order and fire the idiot who was dumb enough to buy this bullshit.
Wouldn’t a fan designed to kill any bug need to be periodically cleaned of the remains of said bug? I have a hard enough time keeping my window fan clean, I don’t need to add insect guts into the mix.
My wallet says “thanks!” I’ve bought too many things from meh recently that were actually useful to spend money on something like this. The reprieve from temptation is appreciated.
Every year my sister comes up with some silly new way to eradicate mosquitos. They never work. I fully expect these to be as useless as all her ideas. For $15 I get to give her grief and can pretend I have no clue when they show up unannounced. Even at my old age giving my older sister the needle is too much fun to resist.
@asplus@haydesigner@RiotDemon
actually, CO comes to mind, but definitely NOT MN where the skeeters are big enough to plug up the entrance to these fans one by one (Skeeters are the state bird in MN… land of 10,000 lakes and 100 zillion mosquitos)
@asplus@chienfou@RiotDemon@rtjhnstn
I live about 10 minutes north of San Diego. (But I grew up north of Chicago, in Lake County, so I share everyone’s loathing of mosquitoes.)
@flehm@Kidsandliz Ain’t that the dang truth, round here, they’re worse than the rabbits(not that I mind the rabbits) and act like any small amount of water is their pay by the hour motel. They go get their freak on, make some little skeeters than come looking for me to end the evening with a good dinner.
Basically, from some quick research, UV based bug killers are general bug killers, and really bad at mosquitoes. They in fact attract mosquitoes to the area, but don’t kill them.
These mini environmental disasters shouldn’t be on sale!!!
According to HowStuffWorks:
"Mosquitoes are a very small part of the population attracted to bug zappers.”
Most are beneficial beetles, moths, ants and midges along with parasitic wasps that control other insect pests. When an insect is zapped, the devices send bacteria, along with bug particles that could be carrying viruses, flying into the immediate area, according to a study conducted in 2000 by researchers at Kansas State University.
“Bacteria that bugs pick up on the surface of their bodies or accumulate in their digestive canals do not get zapped. Instead, they survive on the small particles of electrocuted bug body that go hurtling through the surrounding area when an insect is electrocuted. And what goes flying into the air has to land somewhere, right?”
According to thewirecutter.com:
“Bug zappers kill bugs by the thousands. But there’s a problem: They kill the wrong bugs. They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can reduce songbird populations, disrupt pollination, and generally throw the environment out of balance.”
The truth is that mosquitoes are not attracted to ultraviolet light in the way that many other insects are, making the usual type of bug zapper almost useless in getting rid of them. Worse, the sheer number of non-harmful insects killed by the zappers can take a heavy toll on the ecosystem.
@ahacksaw That’s nice of you to say, but I think it’s just a misuse. “Vis à vis” is not a synonym for “therefore.” In the same sentence, “sucks” should be singular. Also, to me it’s odd to see the plural of mosquito spelled “mosquitos” instead of “mosquitoes” (my spellchecker agrees), but according to the internet either is acceptable.
@Citymars Ah, I missed the incorrect “sucks”! I see more and more people getting agreement of subject and verb wrong, which annoys me. I’m not really a prescriptivist anymore, but lack of agreement of subject and verb is just silly.
@rtjhnstn Well, of course. That’s why it sold out. Most of us are still waiting for stuff from the irk-off. So most of us continue to buy to reach that level of satisfaction that is bound to never come. Especially if it’s shipped by Pitney Bowes.
Well, now that we sold out, I think it’s only right I came on here and say…I thought I had lost my touch. I really prided myself in buying things that get TORN apart in the forums. But lately, you guys have been loving the items I’ve bought. I mean, I think someone gave the Polti an 8.5/10…gotta be the best review I’ve received on a product since I started. And the nail polish?! Who would’ve thought you all would even like the colors I picked. I’m thrilled to be back at the bottom by providing you all with products worthy of you taking 5 minutes out of your day to express how much you loathe them. Thanks to all!!
@mandirose Perhaps when you choose products make sure the ones you pick don’t damage the wildlife like this one does or the environment? Well and also stuff that is more to likely survive the, um, drop kicks care taken by the shippers, especially when they aren’t actually padded in the too big boxes. Thanks.
No need to worry about cleaning out the box, there won’t be any critters to clean out. Without doubt the most useless product(s) I ever bought. Have NEVER CAUGHT ANYTHING in three months, inside or out. Chew battery power like crazy but you might as well forget about batteries, you’d have more chance of a blind bug flying into it by accident. It’s one thing for MEH to wallow in the “we sell crap” mantra, but your sales model will be short-lived with this sort of offering and similar.
One of the two mosquito killer fan lamp things I bought has been running non-stop since it arrived in late June, and lo and behold, it has managed to catch and kill one (1) mosquito. I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day!
yes - total fails. And I was so hopeful, that even 4 months later I still feel bad about adding to the landfill. I’ve kept the minuscule brushes and may use one of those one day.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$35.88 at Amazon for 2 similar with shipping
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Nope. My guess is these are crap
Uh, for the most part, mosquitos don’t care about UV.
They hunt primarily by sensing CO2.
To drink your precious bodily fluids.
@caribou Much more likely to kill moths, which we need for pollination
@caribou
Mosquitos sense my power and they seek the life essence.
If you can see the light, then it’s not UV.
@cengland0
Not actually true from my understanding. Think blacklight or tanning beds. They are just inefficient light sources. For a UV light source to be completely invisible, you’d need an expensive single frequency emitter.
And why would you? With a 400-405nm emitter, you can tell if it’s on or if the light failed.
@thebigtverberg
https://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae225.cfm#:~:text=By definition%2C ultraviolet light is,form that we can see.
https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves
@cengland0 @thebigtverberg I think the jist was, it can emit both UV and visible light simultaneously. Hence the reference to a 400-405nm wavelength emitter.
@altoidbox
Precisely. It CAN be emitting UV even though you see some light. Therefore saying that if you can see light, that there is no UV, is not necessarily true.
I would guess there is a way to just have purple LEDS to fake the effect…but the 400-405nm emitters are only like a buck from what I found.
At least with bug lamps, the dead drop to the ground. Who wants to clean up mosquito morgues?
@hchavers If you put these on your patio table they can double as “salt and pepper” shakers
@tweezak That is gross! Very funny, but gross.
@hchavers There is something very satisfying about an insect electric chair. The sparks, the crackle as the pests are incinerated. I wish they made a similar device for rodents. The ones available are little dark boxes where the mouse disappears never to be heard from again. Throughout the ages there was always something cleansing about a public execution. So what if you have to sweep up the mess afterwards? Don’t hunters stuff and mount their kill? It’s nice to see how many pests will no longer be bothering the world, the fruits of your labor so to speak.
@Dog19026 @hchavers
I grew up with those big blue mosquito lamps in our yard. We had two my dad put out every summer. The zapping becomes a very calming sound when you get used to it it. One night we herd the zapping going execution style, by the time the smoke cleared from it we could see a chipmunk had climbed up it and it looked like the cat from Christmas Family Vacation.
@hchavers I’d love to see that on Shark Tank. Come in describing it as a seasoning shaker and let each of the “sharks” sprinkle some food and enjoy the samples…then tell them the other use for these and get ready to run.
This’ll attract some moths, but not many mosquitoes.
I think I want these, but I feel like I need an episode of the Firing Line to make my decision.
@cfg83 Hmmm, I didn’t read the above reviews. It’s not looking good for the thinning of my wallet.
Mosquitos aren’t attracted to UV light.
Also, the bugs that do get attracted in will only be trapped and dead if the thing can stay running for like an hour after they get sucked in there, so they dehydrate and die. Otherwise they’ll fly away when the batteries die.
The good thing is if it doesn’t work for those who actually buy this crap will be able to use it to keep cool while the sanitize for COVID. Maybe that is if the UV thing even works. Actually the fan would have to be tampered with to effectively keep you cool as you attempt to sanitize.
@whomeyesu This won’t sanitize anything… it’s probably just 400nm purple LEDs that touch the top of the UV spectrum. Just like all the fake “COVID-19 disinfection wands” out there. Low wavelength UV-C is what disinfects.
@awk I know dont be alarmed i was seriously joking. I’m a clorix wiper old schooler. Yet who is actually wasting money on this??
$20.00 ea at amazon but include a 120 volt wallwart. I thought like ladybugs are attracted to uv? Why do i want to kill ladybugs and fireflies? To hasten the mass extinction?
@Odorous
$19 on Sidedeal. Save a buck and subsidize the muletrain or whatever it is that makes the new shipping partners so gosh darn slooow.
@earmstrong that one includes the ac adapter.
@Odorous Sweet little Lady Bugs, or the similar-looking, invasive Asian Lady Beetles?
You shouldn’t feel too bad about killing the latter.
As others have said, UV does NOTHING to attract blood suckers, it only attracts pollinators. Come on meh, get your shit in order and fire the idiot who was dumb enough to buy this bullshit.
@Fen_Star sounds like you’re having a peaceful day
Mmmm. Inhale those skeeter bits…
Wouldn’t a fan designed to kill any bug need to be periodically cleaned of the remains of said bug? I have a hard enough time keeping my window fan clean, I don’t need to add insect guts into the mix.
@harveydanger The not-actually-working-ness of the product means it never needs cleaning. It’s a feature!
truly meh
A box fan with mesh over the intake side also kills mosquitoes. No UV needed.
Overpriced @ $0
My wallet says “thanks!” I’ve bought too many things from meh recently that were actually useful to spend money on something like this. The reprieve from temptation is appreciated.
so who is buying these? so far comments are universally negative, but 135 have sold in 36 minutes.
@kevinrs People that don’t bother to read.
@birdy @kevinrs I 2nd that
Every year my sister comes up with some silly new way to eradicate mosquitos. They never work. I fully expect these to be as useless as all her ideas. For $15 I get to give her grief and can pretend I have no clue when they show up unannounced. Even at my old age giving my older sister the needle is too much fun to resist.
/giphy crappy-misted-screwdriver
@Frcal I second that emotion!
@Frcal Best use of these devices ever. You win today!
What a buzz kill!
There are many reasons I absolutely love where I live, but one of the most under appreciated ones is… virtually no mosquitos.
/giphy bring on the hate
@haydesigner where do you live? I hate mosquitos.
@haydesigner @RiotDemon Probably Antarctica
@asplus @haydesigner @RiotDemon
actually, CO comes to mind, but definitely NOT MN where the skeeters are big enough to plug up the entrance to these fans one by one (Skeeters are the state bird in MN… land of 10,000 lakes and 100 zillion mosquitos)
@asplus @chienfou @haydesigner @RiotDemon And then they migrate east.
@asplus @chienfou @RiotDemon @rtjhnstn
I live about 10 minutes north of San Diego. (But I grew up north of Chicago, in Lake County, so I share everyone’s loathing of mosquitoes.)
If I put the batteries in reverse, can I use this as a mosquito breeder?
@flehm Only if you flip it over, seal up the cracks and then fill it up with water.
@flehm @Kidsandliz Ain’t that the dang truth, round here, they’re worse than the rabbits(not that I mind the rabbits) and act like any small amount of water is their pay by the hour motel. They go get their freak on, make some little skeeters than come looking for me to end the evening with a good dinner.
Basically, from some quick research, UV based bug killers are general bug killers, and really bad at mosquitoes. They in fact attract mosquitoes to the area, but don’t kill them.
@kevinrs Bastards
@kevinrs @mehbee They killed Kenny…
@bigtom67 @kevinrs @mehbee
You bastards!
Mosquitoes aren’t attracted to UV light! They are attracted to IR light and CO2! SHEESH!
@barrywilliams So THAT’S how I keep getting bit up while laying on the couch and channel-surfing with my remote…
These mini environmental disasters shouldn’t be on sale!!!
According to HowStuffWorks:
"Mosquitoes are a very small part of the population attracted to bug zappers.”
Most are beneficial beetles, moths, ants and midges along with parasitic wasps that control other insect pests. When an insect is zapped, the devices send bacteria, along with bug particles that could be carrying viruses, flying into the immediate area, according to a study conducted in 2000 by researchers at Kansas State University.
“Bacteria that bugs pick up on the surface of their bodies or accumulate in their digestive canals do not get zapped. Instead, they survive on the small particles of electrocuted bug body that go hurtling through the surrounding area when an insect is electrocuted. And what goes flying into the air has to land somewhere, right?”
According to thewirecutter.com:
“Bug zappers kill bugs by the thousands. But there’s a problem: They kill the wrong bugs. They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can reduce songbird populations, disrupt pollination, and generally throw the environment out of balance.”
DITCH zapping machines…
@nzdod
I had to read that twice because I read that as midgets and wondered how small the midget would have to be to get through the grill.
@nzdod
Any bug that makes it into my screened in porch is the right bug to kill.
@cengland0 @nzdod touché
@mediocrebot… ANTS are AWESOME!
POPSOCKETS! ROAD ROCKETS! SONNY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
Hey everyone, I was thinking about buying these before they sell out. Do you think it’s a good buy?
@Helmet0987 I’ve never seen a product with such consistent recommendations.
The truth is that mosquitoes are not attracted to ultraviolet light in the way that many other insects are, making the usual type of bug zapper almost useless in getting rid of them. Worse, the sheer number of non-harmful insects killed by the zappers can take a heavy toll on the ecosystem.
https://home.howstuffworks.com/do-bug-zappers-fight-mosquitoes.htm#:~:text=They use ultraviolet light%2C or,seem to be drawn to.&text=The truth is that mosquitoes,in getting rid of them.
@avante296
well, that seems to be the consensus so far…
I’m going to give Meh the benefit of the doubt and guess that the copywriter was using “vis à vis” incorrectly for, like, irony or something.
@ahacksaw That’s nice of you to say, but I think it’s just a misuse. “Vis à vis” is not a synonym for “therefore.” In the same sentence, “sucks” should be singular. Also, to me it’s odd to see the plural of mosquito spelled “mosquitos” instead of “mosquitoes” (my spellchecker agrees), but according to the internet either is acceptable.
@Citymars Ah, I missed the incorrect “sucks”! I see more and more people getting agreement of subject and verb wrong, which annoys me. I’m not really a prescriptivist anymore, but lack of agreement of subject and verb is just silly.
And yes, I am a lot of fun at parties.
@ahacksaw haha, so much fun. Also, I had to Google “prescriptivist.” Interesting word!
Guessing by the comments, this would be a just for the ‘meh’ of it buy. But not for me.
At this point, it feels like I’m coming to Meh more for the comments (which vary from hysterical to informative) than the offerings.
From the comments this looks like a worse then ineffective product. Killing beneficial insects and not the biting ones.
Get a co2 + IR based mosquito trap.
Rats… hoping a “Buzz-Worthy Product” was a vibrator…
/giphy feel-the-buzz
@TheMonkeyKing Well, HELLO!
EDIT: The giphy “love-wand” might make this thread NSFW…
@TheMonkeyKing Ewwww… giphy “buzzy-wand” gets a gif of rachel and ross going at it. Jeebus
Isn’t this a truly meh product, a personal bug zapper that won’t even attract mosquitoes.
@rtjhnstn Well, of course. That’s why it sold out. Most of us are still waiting for stuff from the irk-off. So most of us continue to buy to reach that level of satisfaction that is bound to never come. Especially if it’s shipped by Pitney Bowes.
Sold Out!. About time, the pollinators are safe!
Well, now that we sold out, I think it’s only right I came on here and say…I thought I had lost my touch. I really prided myself in buying things that get TORN apart in the forums. But lately, you guys have been loving the items I’ve bought. I mean, I think someone gave the Polti an 8.5/10…gotta be the best review I’ve received on a product since I started. And the nail polish?! Who would’ve thought you all would even like the colors I picked. I’m thrilled to be back at the bottom by providing you all with products worthy of you taking 5 minutes out of your day to express how much you loathe them. Thanks to all!!
@mandirose Perhaps when you choose products make sure the ones you pick don’t damage the wildlife like this one does or the environment? Well and also stuff that is more to likely survive the, um,
drop kickscare taken by the shippers, especially when they aren’t actually padded in the too big boxes. Thanks.I should have read the FINE PRINT it says for INDOOR USE ONLY
@b9 me too - this is kind of bad - Can we return ?
@b9 @plowe2 no returns on buyers remorse.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/the-meh-warranty-for-what-its-worth--not-much-
Basically it’s a computer fan with an led light. But at only 6v, it isn’t even a strong fan.
This did not discourage the mosquitoes from biting me.
This uhhhh, doesn’t work. But now i have two small fans. Looks like i got me a solder smoke fan
Ok, this does not work against mosquitos.
Then what does work against mosquitos?
No need to worry about cleaning out the box, there won’t be any critters to clean out. Without doubt the most useless product(s) I ever bought. Have NEVER CAUGHT ANYTHING in three months, inside or out. Chew battery power like crazy but you might as well forget about batteries, you’d have more chance of a blind bug flying into it by accident. It’s one thing for MEH to wallow in the “we sell crap” mantra, but your sales model will be short-lived with this sort of offering and similar.
One of the two mosquito killer fan lamp things I bought has been running non-stop since it arrived in late June, and lo and behold, it has managed to catch and kill one (1) mosquito. I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day!
My lights don’t stay on and the fans don’t stay on. Total fails.
yes - total fails. And I was so hopeful, that even 4 months later I still feel bad about adding to the landfill. I’ve kept the minuscule brushes and may use one of those one day.
These SUCKED they did nothing but waste my money