Giant Bug Zapper Kills Grasshoppers With Electricity

Giant Bug Zapper Kills Grasshoppers With Electricity CROPS Insect Control 27-5-3 Grasshoppers are no match for the "Grasshopper Zapper," a field-size bug zapper invented by Ken Podgurney and Roger Beaudoin of Whitecourt, Alberta. Grasshoppers have been on the rampage the past few years due to dry conditions on the western prairies. "The beauty of our machine is that honey bees and other beneficial insects just fly around it because it moves slowly through the field." The patented zapper consists of a center 20-ft. wide by 4-ft. high steel mesh panel, with a 10 by 4-ft. wing on each side. The 40-ft. width can be extended up to 60 ft., if desired. The 2,000-lb. aluminum unit can easily be pulled by an ATV (on smooth, level ground) or a small tractor on hilly terrain. The rig also has an end hook-up for easy transport field to field. Each panel has 3 grids, which are electrified with 15,000 volts produced by a pulse 3,500-watt generator. Height can be adjusted from 4 to 32 in. off the ground. A 2-ft. wide plastic shield beneath the unit prevents plant material from coming into contact with the electrified grids, minimizing the risk of grass fires. The shield also collects the dead grasshoppers, which can then be used for poultry feed or fertilizer. "There are eight 12-in. tires on the unit and it's designed to be pulled slowly. As you pass by, the grasshoppers jump up and hit the electrified grid," Podgurney says. "For safety, when the machine starts moving, a sensor on the back wheel detects motion and turns on the electricity. When the machine stops, the power turns off." The inventors say one pass generally kills 35 per cent of hoppers. "This is not a miracle machineà you're not going to get them all with just one pass. Some say it's labor intensive, but it is an economical investment that doesn't harm the environment and provides effective control. It kills adult grasshoppers which are the ones that are laying eggs and are the most difficult to kill with chemicals," Podgurney says. "To get the adults, the chemicals have to be very strong and it's likely to cost about $6 per acre, plus the cost of a sprayer. Each female grasshopper lays at least eight eggs, so it's advantageous to use the device throughout the season to try to eliminate new eggs from being laid." Podgurney and Beaudoin have been perfecting their machine for the past three years and put it on the market in June. So far, they've sold two units, both to Saskatchewan farmers. With a price tag of $25,000, the pair admits it's difficult for producers to find the money to purchase, so there is the possibility that they may rent the machines out in the future or sell it to custom operators. "The people who need it the most have been devastated the past three years with drought and grasshoppers. We believe more people could benefit if each hopper-infested municipality were to buy one and rent it out to farmers. They could have the machine paid for pretty fast," Podgurney says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Podgurney, c/o K-Lynn Trucking, Box 360, Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada T7S 1N5 (ph 888 778-4615 or 780 778-4615; fax 780 778-5415; email: k-lynn@telusplanet.net; website: www.grasshopperzapper.net).

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