A friend of the Repellent Review, Denise, informed us of a bug repellent she recently purchased and tried out; the Racquet Zapper.

Denise took the racquet zapper on a recent hike, and let us know how it faired against those annoying, buzzing pests.

RR: So Denise, what exactly is the racquet zapper, how do you use it, and how much did this bug repellent cost you?

Denise: The racquet zapper is a bug repellent that’s shaped like a tennis racquet. It runs off a couple of AA batteries. The batteries charge an electric grid. The grid is triggered by a button you press. It electrifies, and you swing at the insect thats bothering you, and it zaps it dead. I picked mine up for less than $10.

RR: Sounds like fun. Does this electronic insect repellent work?

Denise: Oh ya. It’s fun. We all tried it out along the hike. (There was a group of five people along). It worked ok on bigger bugs, but was worthless on smaller ones like gnats. You had to make sure the bug hit the grid, and not the outside of the racquet, or it wouldn’t kill it. It seemed to work well for mosquitoes. I’ve also used it at home against flies. It’s more fun zapping them, than hitting them with a fly swatter. The batteries did run out quicker than I thought they should though.

RR: Denise, would you recommend the Racquet Zapper?

Denise: It’s really entertaining for a bug repellent. We were laughing on the hike, and looking for bugs, instead of trying to avoid them. It works ok. A good coat of mosquito repellent would probably work just as well. If you’re looking for a fun gadget to play with, I’d recommend it, but because the batteries run out I probably won’t be using it on a regular basis.

RR: Thanks Denise! It seems bugs sometimes can spark a little fun. Repellent Review gives the Racquet Zapper an A for entertainment value, and a C+ for effective value. Unless you keep a fresh supply of batteries around when you’re outdoors, you’d be out of luck when this bug repellent loses it’s juice. The Racquet Zapper is available online.

If you’re plagued by mosquitoes and have an area you want to protect, this homemade mosquito repellent may be your answer. This repellent will work best in areas of moderate size (back patios), but can be adjusted for various sized areas.

Find yourself some 5 gal. containers. You want to fill the buckets about 2/3 full of water. Keep the water low enough so birds won’t mistake it as a birdbath. Add household dish soap to the water. Also add some WD-40 to the homemade deterrent. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. (You can read more about the mosquito lifespan later if you’d like). When the mosquito lands on the water it will get stuck. The WD-40 in the water acts to break up the surface tension, impeding the mosquito from flying away. The dish soap will kill any larvae that due happen to hatch from the eggs. If you’d like, decorate the buckets to blend in with your landscape and strategically place them around your property. If you have cats or dogs, be sure to place the homemade repellent out of reach. You’re target is the mosquito, and you’d hate to see your pet drinking it. The homemade mosquito repellent wouldn’t hurt your dog, but it might give him/her a nasty case of diarrhea.

Periodically check the buckets and refill them as needed. You’ll be surprised how many mosquitoes you’ll catch this way.