Zap-A-Bug Racquet Electrifies Bugminton
Combining two of our favorite pastimes—misappropriation of athletic equipment and electrocution—the "Zap-A-Bug" electric racquet sends an indeterminate amount of voltage through a mesh screen, the better to both knock flying pests out of a the sky and cook them before they hit the ground. With a child-safety switch and a rubberized non-stick handle, the Zap-A-Bug racquet is both fun and safe. And it's only $25, shipped, giving it a cost-per-hours-of-fun factor orders of magnitude beyond most tennis equipment.
As This Old House's "Hardware Aisle" aptly notes: "Advantage: Humans."
Product Page [Firestore.com via Harwdare Aisle]
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I have a friend that has one of these. Other than having to pick up the little cooked husk afterwards (unless you have a cat or dog that's into bugs) the thing rocks. Very satisfying crack of electricity when you zap a fly.
Mmm. Aerosolised arthropod.
My roommate has one, and it is fun to juggle an aluminium foil ball on it - you get a spark every time you hit it.http://boingboing.net/
These types of things have been around for a while, and needless to say given their paddle shape, other uses have been found for them.
Harbor Freight often has the same item by another brand on sale for $2.99. And ohhhh yeah, do these have alternative uses. Fun fun fun!
*cue Spock-vs-Kirk Vulcan wedding fight theme*
As stated above, these things are great, and really satisfying to use.
I think instructables has a quick how-to for making a taser out of one of these.
I think it looks like something you'd find in a dominatrix'es fun box
KINKY!
They sell these at a local S&M shop. I don't think they're swatting flies.
Available for around 3 or 4$ on the streets of India, where street peddlers come up to your car. This has been around for a few years here, in fact.
Agreed with the "it's only $3 really" comment - these are a cultural staple here in Taiwan, and you can find them easily for less than $3 at any department store, and in much bigger sizes too. As for "no toxic fumes", that doesn't include that you aerosolize the bug a bit on electrosplosion contact, though I really don't think it's enough of a big deal unless you're the sort who carries around Lysol wipes to open doors with. The racquet works wonders when simply waving them around windows to get rid of mosquitoes.
I've got one of these. They're great, but you'll find that switching it on has very little bearing on the bug's survival. Thwack a fly with a wire mesh tennis racquet, and it dies.
I've not used this particular model but I've owned a couple of these and their effectiveness varies widely. Some work well and actually kill the bug, but others merely stun the insect briefly, making you feel like an insect torturer.
They are also ancient and you can buy them in the Netherlands for under €3 at any street corner.
But it is a deeply satisfying device on a worrying level.
You can usually nab the little ones with any type, but the real test are the bigger bugs. I zapped a wasp out of the sky, and she merely laid motionless of a second, readjusted her antennae, and took off again. This would-be executioner couldn't help but let such a resilient creature live.
The 9V swatter my buddy had actually started wasps and bigger bugs on fire. I stuck my pinky into it and it was numb for an hour.
We had lots of fun horribly punishing the most annoying of insects that summer.