Electric Bug Zapper 1/2 Acre Outdoor Insect Control with Dual Lure Method, 15W UV Light & Octenol Attractant for Fly & Mosquito, 5600V Kill Grid, Made in USA, UL Certified

Recieved this device (15 watt Flowtron), along with the spare bulb I purchased, and plugged it in 30 minutes ago about eight feet from my favorite couch. It has already zapped well over a dozen bugs. Instead of using chemicals as I have in the past, sought a better way to rid my home interior of bugs. The noise is minimal. Like one reviewer said: the cord is short- real short. Less than a foot. It's working beautifully. Now, just need to replace my roach baits and I'll be ready for the summer bug season here in my sub tropical, coastal, bug infested location. Will likely need to fabricate a tray device to catch dead bugs as they fall. Think I'm gonna like this thing. Update: It has now been five days since I received my 15 watt Flowtron bug zapper and I'm happy with it. It has been on 24/7 since I plugged it in. It's not terribly bright which makes for a soft night light for my den. As I kicked back with my laptop tonight and listened to a bug fry every now and then, just ordered two more 40 watt Flowtron units. Hope to have a very bug free summer in my home. Be advised that these things do not discriminate between benificial bugs that we need for pollination of plants and such. Therefore, there is valid scientific criticism regarding their indiscriminate outdoor useage. Any bug inside my home is fair game. It did not zap every last bug but it has put a big dent in my bug population. My cats don't quite know what to think of it yet. Update #2: Before buying my first Flowtron, sought information to help me decide what size unit to buy. Have now tried out a 40 watt model in my home. It works well, is significantly larger than my 15 watt unit and the transformer hum is a little bit louder. The bulb in the 40 watt Flotron cost twice as much to replace. Leave the 15 watt unit on 24/7 inside. It works well and uses less power. The 40 watt units are brighter and would be my choice for serious outdoor useage. Will use both of the 40 watt units if needed and turn them off when I go indoors. Inside, just can't see much advantage of using the larger 40 watt unit size. Now, leave my door open longer when going to and fro knowing the 15 watt bug zapper is always at work inside. It's popping a bug every few minutes or so tonight. Should be able to use significantly less insecticide in my home now. They do not zap every bug but work quite well. Only notice the 15 watt model eight feet from me when a bug gets zapped. Flowtron seems to make a solid, well thought out American made bug zapper and stand behind them. June 25 2009: My 15 watt bug zapper has been on nonstop since I first plugged it in over a month ago. It has been frying bugs in my house day and night trouble free. Have not cleaned it yet. One of my cats runs and hides sometime when a big bug makes more noise than usual. If and when this one quits, will get another 15 watt model for my home interior. It does not zap them all but sure helps a lot. July 29 2009: A house fly was bugging me bad in my home the night before last. Knew that if I was patient, the annoying little bug would find his way to my 15 watt flowtron at some point just like many before him. Sure enough, as I went to sleep, he fried- well done. Have used very little insecticide this summer in my home with this thing working 24/7 nonstop and consuming only 15 watts of electricity. Wish I had thought of using one of these things sooner. My jumpy male cat has gotten more use to it now. Would go with a 40 or 80 watt model for heavy duty outdoor use at night. The 15 watt size is perfect for my indoor purposes. Still haven't cleaned it. It's right trouble free. There is a bit of an odor when a house fly or large bug gets zapped. That's no problem relative to getting rid of the bugs. April 8, 2010 : Since this makes a good night light, left it on all winter. Have not turned it off since I first plugged it in. It just zapped one of those large, lanky, mosquito looking type bugs. Was wondering how long it would take for him to get fried (about an hour since I first saw him). Have not needed the spare 15 watt bulb yet. With ten boxes of fresh new roach baits, am ready for bug season again. May mount one of my 40 watt Flowtron units inside this Summer if needed. August 6, 2010: It's time to deal with hurricanes, bugs and heat now. My trusty 15 watt Flowtron is busy tonight for I have little nats and other flying bugs in my house. That same 15 watt unit has been on nonstop since I first plugged it in- same bulb with no problems. Just needs some cleaning up now and then. At less than $30 currently with shipping, think I'll buy another 15 watt unit to put in the other end of my home. Need to step up my roach battle also. Have four tubes of roach gel. It's impossible to keep them out around here. Like living near the ocean even with the bugs. Before I got this device, used insecticide (flying insect killer) every second or third day during the tropical season. Now, have not gassed my whole house like I use to do yet this summer. Surely that is healthier than the chemicals I used before. It keeps the bugs under control- they don't bother me with this device in service 24/7. Just use common sense if you intend to use it indoors. Keep it away from all flammable things. It's an electrical device that'll have dead bugs falling from it. It is always possible that the device can catch on fire. So use good sense and understand the potential hazards it can present wherever you use it. Have mine on power strips such that I can easily switch them off when I leave the house if I wish to do so. May 10, 2011: Ordered two 18" round pizza pans to suspend below my indoor units in order to catch most of the zapped bugs as they fall. Some black coat hanger wire and a drill should do the trick. Have not had my bug zappers on yet and I can really tell the difference inside already. Bought six cans of Raid insecticide for the summer. A roach actually bit me on my right arm tonight. He's high on Raid now. Wish I could find something like this Flowtron device to help zap the big roaches as they somehow find a way inside. It takes time for them to find the roach baits that are all over the home where food and water are available. There's no way to keep them out around here. April 15, 2012: Have had one of my 40 watt bug zappers on indoors for a week now as Summer approaches. These were money well spent for me. A screw in Levitron socket to outlet adapter available from Amazon or a hardware store will allow one to plug these units into a standard light bulb socket on an overhead light fixture or wherever. There is something sadistically satisfying about hearing a bug get fried now and then as I write this :) 2013: Harris boric acid tablets have got to be the best thing I've ever used on roaches. Put them out last Summer and in 30 days, no more roaches. They eat them like candy. Simple, safe/natural and cheap. No hazardous chemicals.

I didn't believe all the hype (at first) about Flowtron bug lamps... but 7 years ago, I got one. (It's still running, by the way... unlike the half-dozen 'other' brands I've used. Change your bulbs once a year to keep the attraction levels high.) My mosquito problem was EPIC, and I'm their favorite snack. When I tell you that I could go to an outdoor gathering, and be the only guy getting bit, I'm not joking. Something had to give, and Flowtron made it happen. In Louisiana & Florida, no less. There's a few KEYS to winning the battle. You MUST learn to be successful... here they are: 1.) Bug lamps ATTRACT mosquitos. NEVER place them near your outdoor area. Place them AWAY (like the instructions tell you). 2.) Run them constantly, every night, even when there's not a problem anymore. This is the only way to collapse the colony, and see results. DON'T only turn them on when you're headed outdoors! That'll multiply your problem. 3.) Every time it storms, a new colony will blow into your area. You'll have to wait a couple days to let the killing catch up with the new population. 4.) The first few days after a storm will always feel like you haven't won the battle... DON'T stop. Keep with the program. In 2-3 days, you'll have them back under control. 5.) Don't run the lamp during a storm (rain & wind) but restart it immediately thereafter. 6.) NEVER turn a bug zapper on, only for a party. It's not a cool lantern or a light-show, it's a tool. You have to use it daily, to see results. It's not a can of insecticide. It's a mousetrap. You've got to give it time to work, and preferably not while you're standing around watching it. 7.) Blood is more attractive than a light... if both are present, you're getting bit. Unless you've already followed 1-6. The attached picture was taken one week after a storm, which was proceeded by a thorough cleaning. I used my leaf blower to clear out the carcasses. I had birds that perched on my shepherd's hook, to feast below it, every morning. This is ONE WEEK worth of skeeters. It's like a drain-clog. This thing WORKS! You've just got to do your part. Use it as intended, not as a disco ball that's only on while you're partying. If you do, you'll enjoy some lovely, bug-free yard time. Draw them away, attract them, kill them, repeat until they've got nobody to make babies with. If visitors show up from out of town, repeat the process. They never fully get the message, but you'll put a big enough dent in them to actually enjoy your outdoors time. You can thank me later... just hit the "helpful" button below. Getcha one, and put the hurt on your bloodthirsty pest population! 100% FULLY RECOMMENDED.

With cases of West Nile Virus and other mosquito-transmitted viruses such as Chikungunya (87 confirmed travel-associated cases in Florida in 2014, as of July 19.) cropping up in the U.S. and our area, I was proactive in helping when visiting my daughter in rural Baltimore, MD and encountering alot of flying insects. My daughter has a huge, covered back porch that runs the length of the house and a smaller one in front. There is a lot of foliage surrounding the house and bugs, particularly biting ones, tend to be bothersome. The porch is not screened in, so I bought bug zapper to see if it would help and it does! We had used one years ago at our cabin in New Hampshire which was also surrounding by trees and foliage and mosquitoes were a particular problem since the region used to be a swamp. It seemed to be working since we could hear the zap sounds of insect victims. My daughter says that bugs seem to be a lot less prolific. Indeed, light-seeking insects, and other flying ones that happen to fly in its path) will be killed by this zapper (moths, et al). Still, zappers tend to be ineffective in killing biting mosquitoes even though other insects will be killed by the score. Bug zappers attract insects using ultraviolet light and the low voltage current surrounding the mesh cage kills the insects that attempt to reach the light. The problem is that mosquitoes are not attracted to light; rather, they seek out carbon dioxide to locate blood proteins which are used to develop eggs, so only female mosquitoes need to draw blood and bite. Some mosquitoes prefer bird, snake, or frog/toad blood and others like plant nectar. A few don't even need blood to hatch eggs. Along with CO2, perfume, sweat, and body odor also can attract mosquitoes. Hence, the substance that comes with the bug zapper designed to attract female, biting mosquitoes. So, we heard tons of bugs being zapped at our cabin in NH and numerous studies have shown that bug zappers are rather ineffective at killing female mosquitoes. What bugs were being killed then? One 1997 study (1) determined that the mosquitoes found in zapper collection trays were non biting midges (look like mosquitoes) that are attracted to light. I also recall giving my daughter a DEET-based product to spray the area surrounding the house to repel mosquitoes. Perhaps she used that in addition to the zapper and that is why she has noticed a difference. Using DEET products and eliminating breeding habitats like standing water (e.g., after it rains) will help to reduce mosquito populations. Wearing protective clothing is also a deterrent. I provided more detailed information about mosquitoes since the mosquito-borne virus threat is serious and a current menace and I thought that people should not rely on this zapper to protect them from it. Anyway, I have no complaints about this bug zapper and recommend it for reducing flying insect nuisances - just not for effectively combating female biting mosquitoes. (1) Snap! Crackle! Pop! Electric Bug Zappers Are Useless For Controlling Mosquitoes, Says UF/IFAS Pest Expert)

I got 2 of these to help with bugs outside my house due to the bugs and I’ll say they work amazingly! The installation process is extremely easy as you need a power source and a hook to hang them on in a sheltered place where the elements won’t get to them to much. They also have a nice and sturdy looking outer cage that prevents fingers or birds or pets getting there hand or body part into the cage part that has electricity so it is very safe to have around pets and little kids as long as you watch them! It doesn’t use batteries unless you hook it to a power bank that can power this but I don’t as I use a power cord to power them so I can’t say how much they would drain a battery but on a main line power they are very efficient and effective and easy to clean as I usually do a quick clean of them when I tap them or blow the leaf blower at it to clear the bugs off until I get around to doing a deep clean of them. They also kill annoying bugs very quickly and are efficient at it which is good at night when I come home from work as it keeps the moths and other nasty bugs from getting us or getting inside my house.

Yes sir, I hate bugs, especially mosquitoes. Every time I see one of those suckas a feeling of extreme rage starts to fester deep down inside of my gut. I want to kill it. I want to punch it in it's face, IT NEEDS TO DIE. So I have been looking and looking for something that could give me the satisfaction of killing all these freaking bugs that have given my life so much itch inducing grief. This product got some pretty good reviews and I liked the "non clog" design and it was only like $30 used so I thought what the crap, let's try it. OHH MAN!!!!!!!! My desire to completely slaughter and kill mosquitoes is being fulfilled. We have had it outside for about a week or so now and take a look at the pictures, that is what it looked like, after only a week!. As you can see, the "non clog" design still got clogged but guess what? I DON'T CARE!!!! MOSQUITOES ARE DYING HORRIBLE DEATHS so I'm happy, did I mention I hate mosquitoes? Now I can't comment on if I've noticed a reduction of mosquitoes flying around and biting people so sorry about that ): But I can say that mosquitoes have been such a pain my buttox for so long it just feels so good every time I hear that zap at night knowing another one bit the dust. It's like a mini war every night and I am destroying my enemy. Sorry for that tangent there, lets go back to the clogging issue, its easily fixed. All I did is get my shop vac, took it outside and blew out all the dead dumb mosquito bodies and its back ready to zap some more flying fiends! I must mention the first night I didn't use the Mosquito Attractant (Octenol) that comes with this unit. I just wanted to see what would happen. Well not much of anything did. The next day I went out to check and I didn't see any bloodshed. So I was depressed and decided to try it with the attractant. Just as a FYI, you attach the Octenol container to the bottom of the zapper with some sticky tape that comes already on the container. Then when the light turns on, it heats up the Octenol and that disperses it out into the battlefield. Well, I must say it works now, I mean sheesh, look at the pictures again that I posted, its pure, joyous, mosquito carnage!!!! Now do other insects die as well? And will the PETA nuts go crazy about you killing/destroying the insect ecosystem and such? Yes it does, and yes they will. But I don't care, mosquitoes are dying so I am happy. Another thing to mention is the freaking replacement bulbs for these are a total rip off. They want around $20 for them.... I mean really? And the mosquito attractant is around $8 for about a months worth... I mean adding up the Octenol and replacement bulb, that's about as much as getting another new one so what the crap? It's like printer ink here, they aren't making their money on the units, its off the stuff you have to buy to keep the zapper doing its thing. Lame, lame, lame but the death of mosquitoes is so joy inducing I think I will be able to stomach the price for the extra crap even though they are ripping our faces off. So because of the way too expensive bulb I decided I wanted to make sure they last as long as possible while I'm using this. So I got this awesome little device:: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MMSTNG/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_34 Its an electrical timer or sorts. You set the time on it, then you put a green pin in when you want the device to start supplying power to whatever is plugged into it and then you put a red pin in there that says when the device will turn off the power to whatever is plugged into it. So I have it going from 8:30 pm to around 5 am. So hopefully that will extend the life of the rip off bulb. So besides the way too expensive accessories, this unit rocks and and is letting me live out my dream of shedding mosquito blood instead of them sucking out mine (: Hope this helped someone out there!

I was looking for a battery-operated bug zapper & I found this. It does the work of zapping bugs/mosquitos, but you'll need a long extension cord to operate. Also, it comes with a chemical mosquito attractant that you'll have to replace once it is all evaporated (does not tell you where to get replacements). It's rated for outdoor use but does not say if rainproof. The housing is made of metal not plastic & the black light is nice. Read carefully the specs if you're looking for a battery-operated model.

As I sit here listening to the sweet sounds of those menacing, miserable little flying blood suckers being ZZZapped, I wanted to write a quick review. I ordered this bug zapper because I was thoroughly disgusted being tormented by mosquitoes whenever I ventured into my backyard. I've been doing extensive yard work over the last month or so and I have been bothered and bitten so much that I was desperate to find a solution. I knew it would only get worse and worse as the summer progressed. Early morning and evening ( really starting late afternoon) is of course the worst time. Which coincidentally is the time gardening here in New Orleans is even remotely tolerable due to the heat and humidity. I started carrying OFF spray with me and it helped....as long as I sprayed it as a shield around my body every 20 seconds, choking me and inhaling God knows what chemicals into my lungs. I also rubbed all kinds of lotions over me that promise relief. All of that helps but really it's just a band aid on a gunshot wound. I wanted to try to eradicate the little suckers. I came to Amazon looking for bug zappers. I found this Flowtron with almost 2000 (!!) reviews with an average of almost 5 stars. I ordered the one for 1/2 acre ( I just needed for my backyard which is about 50'x 150'). It came within a few days and I couldn't wait to plug the thing in. It comes with one cartridge of Octenol and I stuck it the bottom of the zapper. The instructions say not to place the zapper within 25 feet of human activity but we won't be outside much in the summer ( too hot and humid) so I ignored that instruction. The cord is short so I used an extension cord and put it at the end corner of my patio on top of the BBQ pit. It started zapping away at dusk and never stopped. I couldn't wait to see the all the little corpses in the morning and I was not disappointed... I had nice little pile of dead bugs! When we do brave the outside to the patio, I'll hang it from a shepherds hook out in the yard to avoid attracting the blood suckers near us. Another benefit is that I don't have 50 bugs flying to my house as soon as I open my backdoor to let our 3 dogs out during the evening. I unplug it in the morning and turn it on in the late afternoon. I'm thinking I'll put a timer on it to make it easier. If this thing lasts through the summer I will be ecstatic! It's cheap enough that I'll be happy to pay $28 bucks every year to have a fighting chance in the battle of the bugs vs humans! I've only had it a week so we'll see if it lasts...like I said, if it can last a few months that is fine with me. I'll update my review in a few weeks ......

For several years now I have wanted a classic blue-light bugzapper. I remember the halcyon days when they first came out and you could spot them in yards and gardens and on porches as you drove around the towns and countryside at night. It seemed as though every farmhouse or ranch house had at least one, and many older houses with porches produced that comforting blue glow. I enjoyed being at places that had working zappers,watching them "work" with, yes, slightly morbid fascination as the bright flashes and sudden crackling sizzles unequivocally announced that another evil mosquito or other biting fly was itself bitten before it could get to me. I remember the larger, older models with the "collection" basins or pans in the bottoms, taking note of how fast they filled up. It was always interesting to be able to dump the pans onto a table and roughly sort through the various species, sometimes separating the biters from the houseflies and June bugs and moths and other. I also remember feeling some pangs of remorse when noticing how many "innocent" or harmless bugs were among the nastier crispy critters. But since my Flowtron doesn't have a collection pan or basin, I don't notice any remorse connected to it. My Flowtron BK-15D started working almost immediately after I first set it up and turned it on. I mean, the first crackle occurred within minutes after erection and ignition. I put it near a rear corner of the house, in my wife's flower garden and under the canopy of a small apple tree. Immediately nearby is a shaded area underneath a large mulberry, and a few yards away is a huge old elm tree. The zapper hangs from a cast-iron planter holder firmly stuck in the soil. I've learned that wind is an important factor: don't place the device in an area that is subject to winds or wind eddies. Light breeezes, OK, but if the zapper tends to sway back and forth, you'll see few "kills." It works best at night, of course, since it's the blue light that attracts most bugs. Clean-up is easy -- you get a few messy kills from soft-bodied types like moths that tend to get stuck on the electrified mesh and literally get burned up. Unplug the gadget and use a stiff brush to scrape off the fried remains, sort of like cleaning a skillet in which you might have burned the edges of a fried egg. One thing that I rarely but occasionally see is a larger bug, like a June bug, getting "stuck" on or in the grid, thus producing a prolonged sizzle effect that I THINK is NOT doing the device any good. I usually have to quickly unplug it to hopefully dislodge the body, thus stopping the noise and flashing. Sometimes that works, sometimes it takes several attempts. It's not perfect -- it hasn't eliminated all biting bugs from the yard. Some probably use me for a snack as they fly in to the attractive light (and the vaporizing attractant you stick to the base of the unit). But on a given night, I can hear literally hundreds of "kills." I think I could probably use another unit or two to place in strategic areas because my backyard is so big, or maybe the larger model would be more effective. At any rate, I am very pleased with the Flowtron model. It looks like a classic bugzapper, it works like one, and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. I don't know about bulb life or how much trouble it might be to order and replace a bulb, but other reviews tend to be favorable in those areas. I got what I paid for, and these days, that's a positive thing. I might add that I got it on sale, too. Packing was excellent and shipping was fast. Bug, don't let the sun set on your butt in my backyard!