My Family Swears By This $15 Amazon Find That Makes Bug Swatting Super Easy (and Kinda Fun)
When you live in the South, one of the earliest skills you pick up is dealing with the bugs. Mosquito swatting might as well be a sport around here. If you’re lucky, that’s one of the few troublesome bugs that cross your path, but the more time you spend out, the more you’ll come into contact with. I don’t consider flies to be a regular nuisance, but I’ve been in more than a few situations where I’ve had to stealthily reach for a rolled up magazine when they kept buzzing around food at cookouts.
Obviously, pest problems aren’t exclusive to the South, but the warm and humid weather happens to make the ideal spot for them to thrive. As someone who was born and raised here, it’s a little embarrassing to admit that I never remember to buy a fly swatter. The rest of my family, however, isn’t as careless. And one thing I’ve noticed while visiting relatives is that the plastic fly swatters of my youth are gradually being upgraded to high-tech alternatives. To me, electric bug swatters look a lot like tennis rackets; and while they work similarly to their predecessors, they zap pests instead of squishing them. One model that’s become Amazon’s choice bug zapper is the BLACK+DECKER Electric Fly Swatter.
As mentioned before, this electric bug swatter works pretty much in the same way as a regular tried-and-true fly swatter, and can be used indoors and outdoors. That familiarity is part of the reason shoppers have gravitated toward it, even though it has a different method of keeping the bugs away. Additionally, the low price point of $14.95 makes it a purchase that’s easier to swallow than other (more expensive) bug repellers on the market. “For the price, this is quite possibly one of the best things I’ve ever bought,” said one review. “It’s very effective at dealing with bugs in the house. If you use an old fashioned fly swatter, you might as well try this, too.” The zapper electric grid that’s tough on insects and safe for humans and pets, due to the multiple layers (including aluminum and nickel-plated mesh) that reduce the risk of shock. It zaps bugs quickly, doesn’t leave an odor, and runs on two AA batteries.
It’s no wonder that so many of my family members have one of these bug-zapping rackets now because people have been replacing their old swatters with them left and right! One shopper, who said they felt like a professional tennis player for bugs, left a colorful review that provided more insight to what the zapping actually does: “This is by far the most gratifying way to get rid of any bug flying or crawling around. I threw away any old fly swatter I had. I now have two of these bug zappers, so we can tag team any and all unwanted critters. It stuns those fast crawling critters so you can catch it or just fry it and watch the sparks.”
One thing to note about this bug zapper is that it’s engineered to take on smaller pests like flies, mosquitoes, and the like. Though it may help with larger insects, it doesn’t seem to be as effective, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. For instance, I’m known to be incredibly fearful of large flying bugs, so it was helpful to hear from a shopper who shares my fear and uses the zapper. “This bug swatter is fun and easy to use. I love it because I am terrified of most flying insects,” the reviewer said. “My kids have fun playing with it and know they are helping to keep Mommy from having a heart attack. The only negative I’ve noticed is that it doesn’t work the best on some of the bigger insects. I’m all in if one is made that will kill horseflies, June bugs, and any other creature that flies spastically at my face and gets tangled in my hair or stings me. Overall, it is worth what we paid and helps lessen the likelihood of me dying from fright.”
At this time of year in Louisiana, going outside in the morning or evening without wearing repellent seems to invite mosquitos over for a meal. I keep a variety of sprays, wipes and balms near the door, just in case. From reading the reviews, what I love most about the BLACK+DECKER Electric Fly Swatter is that it’s highly-effective when it comes to mosquitos. “We moved from a desert — where I probably saw two mosquitos the entire three years I lived there — to a humid woodland environment where we are completely overrun,” wrote a customer who said using the fly swatter “better than wielding Thor’s hammer.” After a different bug zapper didn’t do the trick of ridding their patio of mosquitoes, they got the BLACK+DECKER zapper instead. “I bought this and oh, how the tables have turned. The mosquitos particularly like to rest on the backside of our patio furniture cushions. I shook up the cushions and went to town and never was there a more satisfying crackle crackle sizzle sizzle. There are noticeably less mosquitos after just one sweep. I’m sure I will have to do a few more go-rounds but I think we will be taking back our patio now without having to drown ourselves in DEET.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d love to pick up one of these rackets instead of covering myself with odorous mosquito repellent sprays. Since the zapper works outside, it’s going to make dog walking SO much easier this summer!
Buy: BLACK+DECKER Electric Bug Zapper, $14.95
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it here: My Family Swears By This $15 Amazon Find That Makes Bug Swatting So Easy (and Kinda Fun)