DynaTrap XL Mosquito & Flying Insect Trap
Dynatrap’s XL Mosquito & Flying Insect Trap draws in mosquitoes with specialized technology and keeps them contained so they won’t find their way back out. This device uses a UV light and titanium dioxide coating to lure the pests in, while a powerful fan sucks them into the basket below. The basket is large and semi-sheer, allowing you to easily see when it needs to be emptied. This trap is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and the all-weather finish means you don’t need to stress about your trap being left out in the rain.
The DynaTrap XL Mosquito & Flying Insect Trap also has a sleek and inconspicuous look with a tungsten finish, so it won’t detract from your decor. To use it, just place the trap three to six feet off the ground and 20 to 40 feet away from people. Then, just plug it in and let the DynaTrap take things from there. This trap can protect up to an acre of land, although you’re likely to get better coverage the closer you are to the device.
Best Budget Mosquito Trap
An Affordable Option That Uses Blue-Violet Light To Attract Bugs
Gootop Bug Zapper
Shoppers on a budget can still get protection with the help of the Gootop Bug Zapper. This $40 device is designed to target flying insects, including mosquitoes, gnats, horse flies and fruit flies. It uses a blue-violet light to attract the bugs before zapping them with a high-voltage electric grid. The zapper is lightweight at just 2.6 pounds, includes an attached metal hoop on top so you can hang it nearly anywhere and it starts working as soon as you plug it in. Once zapped, the dead bugs fall into a tray that needs to be emptied periodically. However, the included brush means you don’t need to get your hands dirty during the process. Gootop’s bug zapper provides coverage of up to half an acre, making it a good choice for patios and decks.
Best Wall-Mounted Mosquito Trap
A Sconce-Style Device That Blends In With Your Decor
Black+Decker Wall-Mounted Insect Trap
Wall-mounted mosquito traps are a good choice for those who don’t have a convenient spot to hang or perch one of these devices. The Black+Decker Wall-Mounted Insect Trap hangs on your wall and provides up to 1,500 square feet of coverage for indoor and semi-outdoor spaces, like a screened-in porch or sun room. This machine uses blue light to pull mosquitoes in before trapping them with high-tack glue paper. The device is electric and needs to be plugged in, but has the outward appearance of a sconce that helps it blend in with white walls. Maintenance is simple, just remove the glue paper strip when it’s full, throw it out and install a fresh one. While trapping mosquitoes is the goal, this device can also take out gnats, biting flies, fruit flies and other winged pests you don’t want in your home.
Best Indoor Mosquito Trap
A Quiet And Discreet Model To Use Indoors
Katchy Indoor Insect Trap
Some outdoor mosquito traps can be loud, making them a poor choice for indoor spaces. The Katchy Indoor Insect Trap, on the other hand, uses a powerful fan that makes a barely detectable sound that you won’t notice inside your home. This model also uses UV light to draw in mosquitoes. Once they’re sucked in, the bugs are trapped on a sticky glue board that can be replaced as needed. The trap unfortunately doesn’t work on house flies, but it can tackle gnats and fruit flies in addition to mosquitoes. The device offers two speed settings that you can toggle between depending on how bad the bug situation is at any given moment. This device is relatively petite at just 5 x 8.8 inches, and can perch on any counter or tabletop.
Best Zapper Mosquito Trap
A Classic Machine With A Pleasant Look
Flowtron BK-40D Insect Killer
This outdoor mosquito trap uses more traditional bug-catching technology to help with your insect issues. The Flowtron BK-40D Insect Killer looks like a hanging lantern that gives off a gentle UV blue light to draw mosquitoes in. Once they get too close, the device zaps them. After they’ve been fried, the bugs simply fall to the machine’s base, which you can empty as needed. The zapper is covered by a weatherproof polycarbonate roof and cage, so you can leave it outdoors with no issue.
The grid also won’t clog if you don’t get around to emptying this regularly, minimizing maintenance on your end. Just keep in mind that this also comes with an octenol attractant, which is a chemical that draws in biting insects, that should be replaced every 30 days. But once this device is plugged in, it can provide bug-protection coverage of up to an acre.
Best Portable Mosquito Trap
A Compact Device That Doubles As A Lantern
Stansport Two-In-One Lantern Bug Zapper
Whether you’re camping out or picnicking in a particularly buggy area, having mosquito coverage beyond what bug spray will do can be helpful. The Stansport Two-In-One Lantern Bug Zapper is a handy tool you can hang from your tent or a nearby tree to supply bug-zapping coverage while you enjoy the outdoors. This rechargeable device powers up with the help of a USB cord and once fully charged can deliver mosquito-fighting assistance for up to 24 hours. The ultraviolet LED light lures insects into an electrified grid that instantly zaps them, and the device also doubles as a handy 180-lumen lantern with low, medium and high settings. The hanging loop and hook is retractable to save space in your backpack, making it convenient to bring on most outdoor excursions.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted’s home and kitchen editors spend countless hours researching, reviewing and testing products for the home. We’ve created numerous tested and expert-advised stories on outdoor products, including lawn mowers and outdoor sofas.
- The Forbes Vetted home and kitchen team features three expert editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin, senior editor Amanda Arnold and editor Sholeen Damarwala.
- Korin Miller, the author of this story, is a regular Forbes Vetted contributor with more than a decade of experience covering and reviewing products for the home.
- For this piece, Miller also consulted three bug experts: Ben Hottel, technical services manager at Orkin, along with Áine Lehane, MPH, research support specialist in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University and Sydney Crawley, PhD, principal vector scientist for Terminix.
How We Chose The Best Mosquito Traps
To zero in on the best mosquito traps, we analyzed the market to find the most popular devices that target mosquitoes in and around the home. From there, we consulted with three industry experts and refined our search based on their advice.
- We focused on bestselling and well-rated mosquito traps from trusted brands like Black+Decker, DynaTrap and Katchy.
- We considered features such as size, capacity, ease of use and bug-targeting range for each mosquito trap.
- We conducted an in-depth analysis of customer reviews, taking feedback and average star ratings into account.
What To Look For In The Best Mosquito Traps
There are several elements to keep in mind when searching for the right mosquito trap for your needs. Consider these factors in your search.
There are two types of mosquito traps that you can buy, Crawley explains. Gravid or oviposition traps are designed to attract female mosquitoes that are pregnant and looking to lay eggs in a water source, she says. “Conversely, host-seeking traps attract females looking for a blood meal,” Crawley adds. Both types of trap can reduce mosquito numbers, but they work in different ways. “One simply eliminates adult mosquitoes from the environment immediately, while the other style—known as a gravid trap—captures or kills the adult female and prevents her eggs from hatching,” Crawley says.
Most mosquito traps will state how much of a coverage area you can expect. Ranges can span from several thousand feet to an acre or more, with most outdoor traps offering coverage in the 1/2-acre to one-acre range. Typically, you’ll have less of a chance of being bitten the closer you are to the trap.
The vast majority of mosquito traps are plug-in machines. With that in mind, it’s important to make sure you have access to an outlet near where you’ll be using your trap. However, there are some mosquito traps that are cordless. The Stansport Two-In-One Lantern Bug Zapper, for example, uses a rechargeable battery that works for 24 hours when it’s fully charged.
What Is The Most Efficient Mosquito Trap?
There are different types of mosquito traps, and each is slightly different. Oviposition traps mimic the breeding habitat of mosquito species that lay their eggs in artificial containers filled with water—and these are the mosquitoes that can spread dengue, dog heartworm and Zika virus in the U.S., Hottel says. But others, such as CO2 baited-traps or light-traps, can also be effective, as they attract mosquitoes looking to bite people or animals, he says.
Ultimately, the most efficient mosquito trap is one that works for your needs and has a coverage area that works for your property size. Lehane stresses that a trap alone won’t magically get rid of all bugs in your area. “No one trap will solve all your mosquito troubles, but you will have greater success using a trap designed specifically to trap mosquitoes,” she says.
