My Latest Toy

Is it an iPod, another laptop computer, a new phone, or a plasma screen TV? No, unbelievably, its a mosquito zapper!

Here�s why:

A couple of years ago, there was an outbreak of dengue fever in Hyderabad and since then I’ve been stricken by the phobia that I too will fall victim to this deadly disease. This is not an exaggeration because mosquitoes everywhere seem to fancy my blood more than others, so during their mealtime, all of them converge and have a go at me. So isn’t it quite possible that one of them will be carrying the dengue virus?

In my life-long battle against mosquitoes, I’ve left no stone unturned to protect myself, but still everyday a lot of them make their presence felt mostly on my arms, ankles, or fingers.

I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands of rupees on various repellents; creams, coils, liquid-based, and have even toyed with the idea of roaming around wrapped in a mosquito net, but till now I’ve had partial success.

All this was in the past. Now I have the Mosquito Zapper It resembles a tennis raquet and has a button on the handle. The moment I spot a mosquito, I place the racquet near it and press the button. More often than not, I hear a ZAP sound indicating that one more demon got toasted. Most people meditate, read books, or listen to music during their free time, I on the other hand, indulge in some heavy-duty mosquito slaying. I spend at least a good 20-25 minutes every day moving the zapper behind curtains and cupboards�places where no man has gone before– and kill dozens of enemy troops.

Once mosquito comes into the path of the zapper or vice versa, pressing the red button on the handle blows the mosquito into smithereens. Each successful kill brings the smell of burning flesh, and an overwhelming sense of wicked happiness that eggs me to go on and on.
If you still are not convinced about its usefulness, the following list of features should make the zapper your weapon of choice to fight mosquitoes:

• The zapper is priced between Rs. 100-200, depending on where you buy it from
• Its environmentally safe, doesn’t give out any smoke that hampers your health and contributes to global warming
• Like your cell phone, the zapper too is rechargeable.
• it’s good exercise and a hell lot of fun!
• Half-an-hour of blissful carnage will render your house mosquito free
• Use it to kill other insects such as house fly, spiders, and— with some deft wrist action even cockroaches

Mosquito Trivia: In 300 B.C, the Greek philosopher Aristotle first described that during its life-span, a mosquito goes through four distinct stages; egg, larva, pupa, and adult.