Does It Work: Bug Wacker

DURHAM It's called the Westinghouse Bug Wacker Solar Insect Control. It's very simple to put together. Each light comes in three parts, the light, pole, and the stake. They fit together with ease and there's no cords with this light as it gets it's juice from the sun. On top of each light there are solar panels.

For first time use, the solar light needs to charge in full sunlight for 8-12 hours, this allows the rechargeable batteries to reach maximum capacity. After a full day of charging, it's time to see if the lights work. As soon as night falls, one lights up, the other, nothing. The one that works, you can choose just natural white light or flip the switch and get the UV Bug Wacker light. The UV light claims to attract insects and zap them for 8 to 10 hours. After a full night on bug duty, in the morning you can tell it's killed some bugs.

For the one that doesn't work, I check the battery to see if it's making connection and have to wait until the next full day of sunlight to see if it works. This time, we take the lights on the road and go camping. After a full day charging in the sun, we get the fire going and the one light automatically comes on after dusk. The one that didn't work the day before, we get a very slight glow but it doesn't last long. For the one that does shine bright, it zaps bugs all night and by sunrise we have several pesky mosquitoes and insects gone.

So we give the Westinghouse Bug Wacker solar insect control a thumbs up. It works just fine as a yard light or a bug zapper, whichever you choose. You can find it on-line it and home improvement stores. It costs anywhere from $40 to $50 and comes with two lights. As for the one light we couldn't get working, it must have had a bad battery, as when I switched the batteries with the other light, after a full day of charging it worked just fine.