There is nothing more annoying than the buzz of a fly. Even Emily Dickinson wrote a poem about it. In the thick of summer heat, I’ve noticed more and more flies and bugs. I have plenty of ways of killing them, most of them passive and involving traps. While those are effective, there is the occasional lone fly that makes its way past the traps, and whizzes its way into a room, never, ever to leave. Until recently, I felt fairly defenseless and had to resort to last ditch efforts like batting them away with my hands. And then I remembered, we have invented tools for that.

This electric fly swatter makes me feel a little like the monkeys at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey, who have just discovered that they can use sticks and rocks. The tool is so primitive, and yet, so modern, that it makes me feel proud of the human species (which is a difficult sensation to feel nowadays). The fly swatter is electrified, so you don’t necessarily need to swat the flies, as you need to simply tap them. When a fly hits the strings, it’s electrocuted with 4,000 Volts, so there is no doubt you’ve done the job. While 4,000 Volts might seem scary, don’t worry. The strings are protected by a triple-layer of safety mesh so if you or someone else accidentally touches it while activated, you won’t feel a thing. The swatter is shaped like a tennis racket, so it’s perfect for practicing your ground strokes,, and it’s chargeable via USB so you can just plug it in when you’re done swatting to ensure it’s always ready. 

If you’re wondering whether it feels a little strange to personally electrocute flies, I don’t blame you. But I can say this: not only is this more effective than a traditional fly swatter, you also don’t have to whack them. And to me, it feels a little better that way. 

Zap It Bug Zapper

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