summer

This Tiny Gadget Keeps My Kitchen Bug-Free All Summer (and Even Hides the Dead Bugs)

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She's been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.
published Jun 15, 2023
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Safer Home's plug in insect repellant plugged into kitchen socket.
Credit: Shifrah Combiths

When I first moved to the South from California, one of the most shocking things I had to get used to was the bugs. From the millipede that showed up in our third-story bathroom sink in our first apartment, to the cockroaches that scuttled back into the darkness whenever a carport light was switched on at night, plus the nightly cacophony of cicadas, the bug population felt massive and impossible to ignore — especially in the summer. 

After living here for 15 years, I’ve gotten used to having lots of creepy-crawler guests outside, and I’ve even come to like the summer song the cicadas bring, but I definitely still don’t like any bugs inside my house — especially not in my kitchen. 

Despite my best efforts, it still happens, though. Our kitchen has a door that opens up to the back porch and our dog tore up the screens, so we had to remove them. Now, when summertime (aka bug season) rolls around, a disgusting number of them make their way into our kitchen. 

Last year was our first summer in this house, and I had to come up with some solutions, because getting mad at the bugs and swatting them with my hands wasn’t exactly working. I ordered an electric fly swatter, which my kids love to use, but I also needed something that didn’t require as much action. 

I opted for the Safer Home Indoor Plug-In Fly Trap — I liked that it was unobtrusive, and that the dead bugs didn’t show, unlike many typical fly traps like fly paper. (Talk about unappetizing!) 

Safer Home Indoor Plug-In Fly Trap
$17.97
Amazon
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The unit is white and plugs into an outlet, and the soft blue light attracts the bugs, which get trapped on sticky paper that faces the wall so they’re not visible. The paper cartridges are replaceable (and affordable at $7.50 for a three-pack) — and you’ll need to replace them because they catch a surprising number of flies, gnats, moths, and other bugs. On top of that, these bug traps are chemical-free, making them ideal for homes with children and pets. 

Credit: Shifrah Combiths

As you can see, although I just pulled the trap out for its second season, I’m already so relieved to know that the bugs that are starting to buzz around the kitchen will be handled in the background while I enjoy what a kitchen’s made for: cooking and spending time with my loved ones, pest-free.

Buy: Safer Home Indoor Plug-In Fly Trap, $17.97

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