Zap!

A few days ago, we received the advertisement for our local hardware store: AL&M in Sealy and Columbus.  There on the pages was an intriguing piece of equipment.  A hand held bug zapper.

Apparently, these little things have been on the market for quite some time, but for some reason, this was the first time I had seen it.*  I knew it was a must purchase.
Living in the country with dogs and compost piles means an excess of flies.  Couple this with a spouse who absolutely hates the darn things (and has broken several fly swatters to boot), and there was no doubt the thing needed to be added to the arsenal--provided it worked.

After visiting one of my shut-ins in Sealy yesterday, it was off to the store to pick one up.  I think my wife was a little surprised that I actually picked one up.  Didn't think she believed I'd actually do it, but it goes toward our housing allowance.  To me, there was only the possible down side that it wouldn't work.

My wife was the first to open the package and put it all together.  Immediately, she began pursuing a fly that just happened to be in the house.  It didn't seem to work.  "Which side do I use?" she asked.

You know what's coming, don't you?  Yep, your's truly tested the thing on himself, and let me tell you, the results are shocking.  Not stand your hair on end shocking, but enough to make you jump.  (Please see * below.)

So, we knew the thing was charged, but would it actually kill flies and mosquitoes and other such pests?

My wife finally killed the fly zooming around the kitchen, but as I watched, I personally believe it was because she used the racket as a fly swatter.  The ultimate test came later that night, after the kids were in bed.

For some reason, it seems like every night, there is a fly buzzing around our bed.  Last night was no exception.  My wife ran to get the hand held bug zapper.  Darn fly kept buzzing back and forth back and forth as she moved from one side of the bed to the other.

Finally, I said, "Let me see that thing."

The fly buzzed toward me.  I hit the button, and swung.

ZAP!  Blue spark!  Sizzle!  Dead fly.  (I actually think it disintegrated.) 

Celebration ensued.  That the racket actually worked, and that we could read a few moments before bed without a darn fly buzzing around our heads. 

I'm wondering about putting in an order for several hundred of these things and then have them wired to a console in the church sanctuary.  If someone starts falling asleep or if we are in need of a "Mississippi Squirrel Revival", then I could press a few buttons. 

ZAP!   Problems solved.  :-)

* My wife informed me that my mother-in-law actually purchased one of these things for my brother-in-law when he was serving in Iraq.  Apparently, they didn't kill too many flies with the thing, but they had an awful lot of fun with the zapper.  Think about my test above, and then use your imaginations as to what a bunch of Marines might actually do with such a "toy."