How powerful does a laser have to be to zap a bug dead (not into charcoal) from ten feet?

I read once that you can mod a flashlight with a DVD-R laser to get a device that can light matches, if that helps.
Video here.

Can you send me one of those? I’ve got cave crickets in my basement that are a pain to kill.

Here is a video of a working unit by Intellectual Ventures. (Don’t watch if you are a little squeamish.)
50 mW is probably enough if you can keep it on target.

Bzzzzzaap!

@worriedguy: That’s awesome!

Do you know how the targeting system works?

There is a pretty good description on Intellectual Ventures’ website. They are trying to track and blast hundred of skeeters at a time. I wouldn’t want to be sitting an any room where that thing is blasting. It also doesn’t appear to actually kill the mosquito . It looks like it just burns the wings off. Seems a bit cruel. Nah!

I did a search and accidentally stumbled upon this spoof commercial . What a laugh!

I’ve poked around a bit, and 500mW seems about standard for bug-zapping, paper-cutting, wood-burning, etc.

thats all we need…..bug killing lasers. which will be modded. which in turn will be used to grill chickens. which will be modded. which in turn will be used to kill people. which will then be banned by government. which will insure that only criminals and the police will have them. which will cause a bootleg market for lasers. which will bring about lasers for killing mosquitos….......

@stallion44107
People-zapping lasers are impractical, thanks to the energy requirements and the fact that, all things considered, people don’t laser very well.