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There’s nothing worse than being chased off your own deck by biting pests. Whether you’re entertaining or relaxing, mosquitos can be a real barrier to enjoying the outdoors. Mosquito traps are a great non-toxic way to rid your outdoor and indoor space of bugs. Instead of slathering yourself in smelly bug spray or monitoring the open flame of a candle, simply let one of the best mosquito traps do the work for you.
- Best for Tents: Boundery Bug Zapper Camping Lantern
- Best Indoor: Katchy Indoor Insect Trap
- Best Carbon Dioxide: DynaTrap Indoor Insect Trap
- Best Outdoor: PIC Solar Insect Killer Torch
- Largest Range: DynaTrap ½ Acre Decora Series Mosquito & Insect Trap
How I Chose the Best Mosquito Traps
To select the best mosquito traps for testing I first thought of instances when bugs are the most annoying: inside your tent, in your house, ruining a sunset. Then I selected traps designed for those scenarios to determine which are best for different use cases. I used the inside traps near my trashcan and fruit bowl for maximum effectiveness, leaving them on overnight. While camping, I used the lantern to exterminate bugs inside my tent. The outdoor models took residence on my porch. I evaluated each for their convenience and efficiency. The bug corpses surrounding or captured in each model and the lack of bugs, or at least bug bites, served as proof of their effectiveness.
Best Mosquito Traps: Reviews & Recommendations
If, like me, you keep your windows open in good weather, bugs can swarm your fruit bowl, trash can, and inside lights. The best indoor mosquito traps let you enjoy the breeze without the bites. Consistently using outdoor traps can significantly reduce the nearby mosquito population after six weeks of constant or nighttime use by breaking the breeding cycle. Find the best mosquito traps for your house, yard, and campsite below.
Best for Tents: Boundery Bug Zapper Camping Lantern
Key Features
- Range: 16 feet
- Weight: 7.4 ounces
- Rechargable
- IPX6 water resistant
- Lantern lasts up to 20 hours
- UV light lasts up to 15 hours
Pros
- Three lantern light settings
- Safe grid design
- Two hanging methods
Cons
- A little big and heavy for backpacking
This portable lantern doubles as an insect trap, making it perfect for camping trips. No batteries necessary, this bug zapper is rechargeable and lasts for 20 hours on the lowest light setting, which is plenty bright to get ready for bed inside your tent. The UV light that attracts and then zaps bugs lasts up to 15 hours and is itself a nice nightlight or ambient light. The zapping is silent and contained by a safety grid so you can’t accidentally hurt yourself. The soft cover over the lightbulb also means it’s shatter resistant and won’t hurt much if you bonk your head on it.
The light can sit upright or hang from a collapsible plastic loop or thin hanging attachment that folds into the same loop. You can place this on a table or a short way from your tent to draw bugs away while relaxing at your campsite, but the best use in my opinion is inside your tent. You don’t want to attract bugs to your tent, allowing them all inside when you unzip the door. But once you climb into your tent simply turn on the bug zapper to draw in all of the bugs who’ve already snuck inside so you don’t get bitten in your sleep. Once the stray bugs stuck in your tent are all gone, turn it off and head to bed worry-free. Because of the waterproof rating, cleaning is easy. Just run it under water to rinse off dead bugs.
Best Indoor: Katchy Indoor Insect Trap
Key Features
- UV light, fan, and glue trap
- Dimensions: 9 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide
- Weight: 15.2 ounces
Pros
- Four glue boards included
- USB power cord and AC plug included
- Low power mode
Cons
- Fan could be stronger
The Katchy indoor trap is aesthetically pleasing, quiet, and effective. Simply turn off all the lights at night allowing the Katchy UV light to be the only light in the room so all of the bugs are drawn into the trap. Once they get close to the light, a fan sucks them into the device where a slim paper glue trap captures and kills the pests. It takes a few days or up to a week to notice a real difference but it works best when placed next to a fruit bowl or garbage can.
After just two days my trap already contained a number of insects. Simply press a lever and lift the unit off its base to reveal the glue trap compartment and easily replace it with a fresh board. There is also a low power setting for a dimmer light and slower fan. If you’re looking for an indoor insect trap to keep bugs from taking over your home, this one is an excellent choice. I only wish the fan was a little stronger to suck insects in faster and from a greater distance.
Best Indoor for Gnats: DynaTrap Indoor Insect Trap
Key Features
- UV light, CO2, fan, and glue trap
- Dimensions: 5.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide
- Weight: 9.5 ounces
Pros
- USB power cord and AC plug included
- Ultra-fine mesh basket
- Compact size
Cons
- Only includes one glue card
The DynaTrap indoor trap works very similarly to the Katchy, however it also includes an added lure besides the UV light: CO2. The UV light reacts with a Ti02 coating to produce CO2 while the fan turns it into a trail resembling human breath leading to the glue board. This extra attraction and the ultra-fine mesh basket surrounding the glue board makes this trap especially good for capturing gnats. The insects are trapped in the device regardless if they become caught in the glue trap immediately.
I opened the base to check the glue board and a gnat took its opportunity to escape proving that the fine mesh keeps the bugs inside. The holes on the Katchy trap are slightly larger, so there is a small chance of escape if the bug isn’t captured in the glue. This device is smaller than the Katchy and just as quiet. So if you have a gnat problem, this indoor insect trap works great.
Best Outdoor: PIC Solar Insect Killer Torch
Key Features
- Dimensions: 11 inches tall and 6¾ inch-wide table top stand
- Weight: 1 pound, 4 ounces
- Solar powered
- Weatherproof
- Lasts up to 6 hours on a full charge
Pros
- Flickering flame effect
- No cords
- Adjustable height
- Light sensor
Cons
- No ability to charge other than solar
- Can’t change the tabletop height
- Won’t turn on in the daylight unless you cover the sensor
This torch comes with three poles, two connectors, and a ground stake to configure your torch into 48-, 36-, or 24-inch tall poles that stake into your landscaping. Or you can place the torch directly into a tabletop base that is 11 inches tall. However, you can’t put the extending poles into the tabletop base so if you have a deck or porch without the ability to stake into the ground, the tabletop is your only option. PIC’s Solar Insect Killer Torch zaps pests and a removable catch tray allows you to dispose of the dead bugs without touching them.
Conveniently, this device requires almost no attention if placed in direct sunlight. It is weatherproof, so you can leave it wherever you place it even in the rain. The torch will charge and automatically turn on in the dark thanks to a “dusk until dawn” sensor. Though the battery only lasts 6 hours, not the entire night, so the sensor has a misleading name. The flickering flame and purple UV light are very aesthetically pleasing. While the lack of cords is convenient, it would be nice to have a backup charging capability instead of relying solely on the sun.
Largest Range: DynaTrap ½ Acre Decora Series Mosquito and Insect Trap
Key Features
- Range: ½ acre
- UV light, CO2, and fan
- Dimensions: 14 inches tall, 11 inches wide
- Weight: 2 pounds, 9 ounces
Pros
- Can be used indoors or outdoors
- Large range
Cons
- Must be plugged in
This trap is large in both size and range. If you like to entertain or want to clear out a garage or workspace, this is ideal. Keep this trap running constantly for best results. The bugs will fly inside the device and get trapped and dehydrated in the large basket. DynaTrap’s ½ acre insect trap must be plugged into an outlet, but if you’re car camping, you can use a portable power station.
Place it 20 to 40 feet away from where you’ll be so that the bugs are drawn away from you, not towards you. Best practice is to hang it 3 to 4 feet off the ground so it’s directly in the mosquitos flight path. If you leave this on constantly, you can break the breeding cycle of the mosquitos in your area, decreasing the population. Put this out first thing in the spring and by the time you’re hosting barbecues, your guests won’t be getting bit up.
Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Mosquito Traps
Unlike the best mosquito repellents, you have to be careful about where you place mosquito traps. They are designed to attract bugs after all, so if you put them too close to where you’re relaxing, you could actually be drawing pests towards you. Visualize your space before deciding on the best mosquito trap. The power source is also an important consideration. If your deck is shaded, opt for a plug-in model over a solar powered one.
FAQs
All of the mosquito traps in this article utilize UV light to attract mosquitos and different methods of capturing and killing them. Some kill the bugs by electrocuting them (zappers) and others use fans to suck the bugs into a container or glue trap. DynaTrap goes a step further by adding a special coating that reacts with UV light to produce CO2, mimicking human breathing, to lure in more bugs.
Yes, these mosquito traps are much safer than harsh chemicals or fuel-burning methods for pets, kids, and adults.
Mosquito traps are designed to attract mosquitoes, but the UV lights are not powerful enough to draw in more than the usual number of bugs for the space. The bugs in the area see the light and fly to their deaths, decreasing the overall population of the area after six weeks of continued use.
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Final Thoughts on the Best Mosquito Traps
Mosquito traps are a safe and easy way to ensure your indoor or outdoor space is bug free this summer. To exterminate sneaky mosquitos stuck in your tent, try the Boundery Bug Zapper Camping Lantern. For maintenance-free and aesthetically pleasing bug zapping on your porch or in your lawn, opt for the Solar Insect Killer Torch. Find the best trap for you below:
- Best for Tents: Boundery Bug Zapper Camping Lantern
- Best Indoor: Katchy Indoor Insect Trap
- Best Carbon Dioxide: DynaTrap Indoor Insect Trap
- Best Outdoor: PIC Solar Insect Killer Torch
- Largest Range: DynaTrap ½ Acre Decora Series Mosquito & Insect Trap