The Best Bug Zapper

Buying Guide

Few things can disrupt a beautiful summer night outdoors like pesky insects. Even worse, sometimes one of those pests invades your home. You can spend days swatting at a fly before it finally dies of natural causes. Or you can kill it with a fly swatter or shoo it outside. Either way, you’ll find as soon as you’ve gotten rid of one, another isn’t far behind.

Bug zappers do all that work for you, purging your personal areas of flies, fireflies and whatever else can squeeze its way inside. Using electricity, these devices have ultraviolet light that draws certain insects in.

Unfortunately, mosquitoes generally aren’t attracted to ultraviolet light, so these zappers haven’t proven to be as effective in eliminating those. However, realizing this issue, some modern zappers have an additional feature to attract mosquitoes. It’s important to realize, though, that if you choose a zapper with this feature, you may be required to purchase separate cartridges on a regular basis, upping the cost of the unit you choose.

One of the biggest ways not all bug zappers are created equal is location suitability. Some zappers are made for indoor use only, while others can be used only outdoors. Still others are versatile enough to be functional either inside or outside, making them easy to move around as your needs change.

Although bug zappers vaporize the bugs they zap, you will find that they do leave some residue behind. This means occasionally you’ll need to clean it. If this is a dreaded task, look for a zapper with an easily removable tray that you can wash and bring back without much effort. Clog resistance is an additional benefit since bugs can get trapped due to the design of some bug zappers.

• Before you shop, know the types of insects you’re hoping to eliminate. If, like many, you want protection against all flying insects, you’ll need to look for one that builds in mosquito protection since mosquitoes aren’t attracted to the ultraviolet light standard bug zappers use. Try to find a zapper that uses separately sold cartridges that attract mosquitoes.
• Bug zappers are made either for indoor or outdoor use. Check out which area your zapper is designed for before you buy.
• If you’re buying a bug zapper for outdoors, you’ll need to consider your yard size. Some zappers can cover an area of half an acre, which should handle most city and suburban yards. You may need to use an extension cord to reach all of that yard space.
• As insects die, they leave behind a residue that may need to be cleaned. Obviously, you’ll want this process to be as easy as possible. Look for zappers with trays that are easy to remove and wash.
• Clogs can also be a problem with bug zappers. Zappers with grid designs can resist clogging.
• Although you likely won’t be touching your bug zapper on the regular, you’re likely concerned about safety if you have children around. Zappers with casing designed to protect against burns are ideal for homes with children or pets.
• Bug zappers are generally fairly cheap. Some are commercial grade but approved for home use. Although this makes them very effective, it also pushes the price tag up by hundreds of dollars.