Use a low powered tesla coil that zapps bugs but won't kill you. Make for great entertainment, too.-- DesertFox, Jun 27 2004 Fly electrocution http://www.martleye...ric-fly-killers.htmNot really that new but a bun for any new tesla ideas. [PainOCommonSense, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] Zapping bugs with electricity is an unyygenic way of doing it (they tend to explode, flinging germs everywhere) but this is just awesome.
By the way, DesertFox, I've been getting the impression your ideas are getting better. Keep up the good work!-- 5th Earth, Jun 27 2004 Dayngeh! Dayngeh! Hi veaultidge! Wen we tertch...wen we key-yuss!-- timbeau, Jun 27 2004 //Alternatively you could just up the power enough to vaporize the bug/germs entirely.//
...and knock whole city electrical grids out?-- silverstormer, Jun 28 2004 I think the bug would have to land on something in order to provide the appropriate path to ground in order to attract the fatal bolt-- macrumpton, Jun 28 2004 My misinterpretation of the title gave my an idea. I like the original idea. But I thought it was going to be a small EMP device that fried electronic listening devices in a room.-- Spare parts, Jun 30 2004 Personally, I'm with the vaporizing bit. I'd buy this for sure. +-- swimr, Jun 30 2004 Baked in Canada.-- python, Jul 01 2004 Really...
Is there a link? I don't see one.-- DesertFox, Jul 01 2004 [macrumpton], as long as the bug is more conductive that air (they are), they will attract an arc.-- Worldgineer, Jul 01 2004 A high voltage spark allowed to travel through a bug due to it getting between two charged surfaces. Sounds excatly the same as a bug zapper to me.! :p Just a tesla coil (tuned transformer) rather than a HV flyback type generator (hey...not AS tuned, but tuned transformer!).
Also, I doubt their little hearts could handle any current required to get an arc across the air. And, tesla coils aren't exactly low current (comparitively).
I've always had fun with high voltage electrical fields and bugs. If you got something like a Van de Graff generator and put two plates. When they flew by one, they'd be attracted, then they'd get charged, then repel away from the plate to the other plate down below or to the side of, then back to the other plate. Boing boing boing boing. if they were metal, they'd even make "boing" sounds! You can watch this happen with any charged surface and small object.
Although, if the field is too strong they get stuck and little corona discharges start comming off their legs! :O That seems to kill them :( or at least make them crawl real slow after that.-- nomel, Jul 02 2004 random, halfbakery