The Executioner

Scientists, inventors, quacks and charlatans have all come up with all manner of things to ostensibly keep us safe from attack. 

There are lethal poisons that we spray on, or smear all over our bodies, sonic disrupters, lemon scented candles, gas fired machines that emit toxic smoke, and lets not forget the humble fly swatter, all of which have been offered up in a more often than not futile attempt to hold these insidious pests at bay.

While some of these products do work to varying degrees, with the possible exception of the fly swatter, none of them are particularly fun to use, or fulfill the need to exact our long overdue revenge on these nasty little critters.

Then along came the electronic “bug zapper.” Not those massive, and largely ineffective devices that don’t kill all that many bugs, but do manage to double your hydro bill, but the hand held ones that resemble either a tennis or badminton racket.

While passing through Winnipeg on our way to points further north to do a bit of fishing, we were rooting around in a sporting goods store and came across an electronic bug zapper called The Executioner.

Not only was the name particularly appealing, considering that Winnipeg is in fact the mosquito capital of North America, if not the entire world, one of my travelling companions decided to pick one up on the theory that if they were flogging it in the “Peg,” there just might be something to it.

Personally I thought he was nuts, not that $14.95 was a lot of money to part with, but it seemed to me that this was nothing more than another one of those devices that was designed to “zap” more people than bugs.

Live and learn as they say, because while I was willing to bet that The Executioner was going to be a complete dud, it more than exceeded our expectations. If memory serves me correctly, we spent as much, if not more time chasing down and obliterating bugs than we did fishing.

It’s great around the house, and we use it at the cabin to clear the room of the fifty or so mosquitos that hitch a ride in the fur of our dogs every time they come in from the outside. The dogs are so used to us waving it around them, they wait patiently just inside the door, as if being checked through airport security.

Operating on two double “A” batteries, with a voltage output of between 2800 – 3200 v, and an amperage output of 0.03 mA, it packs an impressive wallop. I can attest to the fact that you do not want to touch any exposed body parts with it once the unit is energized. I happened to nick my ear lobe when trying to zap a bug flying in close proximity to my head, and the jolt more than got my attention.

The really neat thing is that once activated, when the little critter makes contact with the grill there is loud snap, followed by a bright flash, and likely a self-satisfied smirk on your face. Needless to say, the bigger the bug, the snap and flash are even more impressive, as will be the size of your grin.

While a great deal of fun to use, The Executioner is not a toy, and if you value your family pets, or don’t want to be on the receiving end of a zap, I would not turn the kids loose with it. Warnings on the handy carrying case that it comes with include:

• Keep at least one foot away from sensitive electronics.
• Keep away from flammable materials and combustibles.
• Keep dry.
• Keep metal (and body parts) away from the grill, and duh
• Keep away from children.

There are other zappers on the market, but unlike The Executioner, they have a relatively fine safety mesh covering the “killing” grill. This safety feature would appear to be more to the bugs advantage, as having tired one of the other models, it was easier to squash the bug than it was to zap it. Hey, if I wanted a fly swatter I would have bought one.

The Executioner is imported by – you’re going to love the name – Pet Your Pet Inc., out of Appin, Ontario. You can find them at both Sail, and Bass Pro Shops, where they sell for about $15.

For more information visit their website at: www.bugzapfun.com

So go out and get one, or for that matter several of these fun, effective and arguably therapeutic gizmos, thereby turning the hunter into the hunted, because revenge is sweet – and don’t let anyone tell you differently.