Do you have a mosquito problem around your house? Whether it’s mosquitos or other flying insects, bugs can be a safety hazard for you and your family.
Mosquitos carry diseases. Buzzing insects are annoying. The longer you ignore the problem, the worse it’s going to get.
With that in mind, we’re here to teach you about a proven solution to your pest problem: LED Bug Zappers and mosquito killing LED lights. These products are relatively new members of the insect control industry – but they’re quickly becoming popular around the world.
What Are LED Bug Zappers?
Today, we’re teaching you everything you need to know about the world of LED bug zappers and mosquito killing LED lights.
How Do They Work?
LED Bug Zappers all work in a similar way. They use an LED bulb to attract mosquitos into a wire mesh. When mosquitos contact the wire mesh, electrical current flows into their bodies, killing them instantly.
Contrary to what some people tell you, LED lamps don’t have insect killing functionality. Setting up a USB lamp on your front porch won’t kill mosquitos: it will just attract them. That’s why all LED bug zappers have a LED lamp combined with an electric wire grid.
There’s actually some controversy over whether or not LED lights work that well against mosquitos. LED bulbs, for example, emit very little light in the UV spectrum, and they also don’t emit much heat. Both of these traits make them less attractive to mosquitos than a conventional bulb. Overall, that means LED bulbs attract fewer mosquitos than a regular incandescent bulb.
Nevertheless, LED bulbs are still a tool that’s been proven effective. Mosquitos fly towards virtually any light. Once they get too close, they’ll get zapped. It’s that simple.
Types of LED Bug Zappers
We’ll talk about specific brands below. However, here are some of the basic types of LED bug zappers you’ll find on the market today:
-Lantern-Style: These bug zappers resemble a lantern. You hang them from a hook on your ceiling – like above your porch. Then, you turn on the lantern. The LED light itself is located in the center of a cage of mesh wires. When bugs fly towards the light, they get caught in the mesh wires and die. Many of these lantern-style zappers are solar-powered, with solar panels located on the top of the lantern.
-Portable Heater-Style: More heavy-duty LED bug zappers resemble portable heaters or air conditioners. They’re large objects designed to be placed on the floor. When activated, they have two long bulbs located behind an electric wire grid. The bright lights draw insects into the grid, zapping them when they get too close. These LED bug zappers are designed for heavy-duty use and major insect problems.
-Electric-Socket-Style: Some LED bug zappers are designed to fit into an existing electrical socket. Say, if you already have a light on your porch, then you can unscrew that bulb, insert the new electric-socket-style bulb, and wait for the mosquitos to be drawn towards the light.
-Tennis Racket-Style: You’ve seen bug zappers like this before – they’re handheld and a lot of fun to use. You swing them at mosquitos and listen to them sizzle. We haven’t found any tennis racket-style LED bug zappers on the market yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re coming in the near future.
How to Compare Bug Zappers
Unless you’re some sort of insect executioner, you’ve probably never had to compare bug zappers before. So what separates good bug zappers from bad bug zappers? Here are some of the qualities and characteristics you can use to compare:
-Coverage Area: The more you spend, the more coverage area you’re going to get. Cheaper insect bulbs may only attract insects within a small radius – like the size of your living room. Others are designed to be placed on your porch and attract insects throughout your entire yard. Make sure you buy an LED bug zapper appropriate for your mosquito problem.
-Indoor/Outdoor Use: Some mosquito zappers are designed to be used only indoors. Others can be used both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor bug zappers might have some environmental protection – like a cover to protect it from rain.
-Power: Typically, LED bug zappers use watts to measure their power. You might see a zapper advertise it as a 15 watt ultraviolet lightbulb, for example, while a smaller indoor zapper could use a 4 watt LED bulb.
-Portability: Some bug zappers are designed to be frequently moved around the house without trouble. Other zappers – like the ones you screw into an electrical socket – may be harder to move around.
-Power Source: This ties into portability. Where does your bug zapper get its power? Do you need to frequently change the batteries? How often will you need to change the bulb? Will you need to run an electrical cord out into your backyard? Is it solar powered?
-Type of Light: In this guide, we’re only talking about LED bug zappers. However, many people prefer using UV lights. You’ll find pros and cons of both lights available online. Some people believe that UV lights are better at attracting mosquitos, while others believe differently. Some of the latest bug zappers actually use a combination system, where they use both UV lights and LED lights to attract insects.
The Best LED Bug Zappers Available Today
Now that your head is filled with LED bug zapper shopping tips, it’s time to look at some of the most popular bug zappers available today. You can find all of the following bug zappers on Amazon and other retailers. You may also be able to find similar options at your local hardware store or department store.
ACRATO Bug Zapper Mosquito Killer Lamp ($31.95)
This popular product is sold on Amazon for around $32 USD. The lamp actually uses two color lights, including a UV and LED light. That means you attract more mosquitos and insects (some insects are attracted to the heat and color spectrum of UV light, while others are attracted to the brightness of LEDs).
Another nifty feature with the ACRATO lamp is that it’s solar-powered. No batteries or charging are required. It’s shaped like a basic lantern: you can carry it around wherever you go, which is handy if you spend a lot of time in different spots outside, or if you have a pest problem inside your house.
After being charged throughout a sunny day, the lamp will run for about 24 hours using its solar energy. The lamp also comes with a brush that lets you clean off the solar panels to ensure they last for as long as possible.
The ACRATO Bug Zapper Mosquito Killer Lamp is well-reviewed on Amazon. Customers praised the LED light that produces 360 to 400nm wavelength light, described as “perfect” for caching mosquitos. Customers also enjoyed the fact that you can use the lamp just as a light – which is ideal for nights when you’re not being bothered by mosquitoes.
LED Bug Zapper Light Bulb by SkyGenius ($17)
SkyGenius makes this futuristic-looking LED Bug Zapper Light Bulb, described as a “mosquito killer for outdoor porch patio back yard indoor house rooms garage kitchen barn, UV lamp trap” (that’s the word-for-word description on Amazon).
Key features on this LED bug zapper include the cheap price point ($17 USD) and the powerful electric grid (600V) and environmentally-efficient light (10 watt LED bulb). The bulb glows with a “cool white” color. It may not attract as many bugs as a lamp that uses a combination UV/LED light, but it will still attract bugs within a range of 500 feet. There are also 6 special purple LEDs (360 to 400nm wavelength) on the upper part of the light to enhance the attractiveness even further.
The main difference between the LED Bug Zapper Light Bulb and others on this page is that it needs to be screwed into an ordinary light bulb socket. It’s not self-charging and you can’t use an electrical socket.
The LED bug zapper has good reviews on Amazon, although not all customers had good experiences. Customers praised the bulb for being easy to use, although many customers said that it was more suited for indoor use. For outdoor use, customers recommended buying two bulbs. Many people also appreciated the multiple modes available, which lets you adjust the brightness and color of the bulb to determine the most effective approach for your unique insect problem.
Apalus LED Insect Trap ($49.99)
Sold on Amazon for $49.99, the Apalus LED Insect Trap describes itself as a “smart indoor mosquito trap”. It’s a high-tech mosquito killer with an electric vacuum fan. Like other products on this page, it also uses both LED and ultraviolet light. It can also function as a “romantic” night light for use indoors.
Unlike other products on this page, the Apalus LED Insect Trap doesn’t zap mosquitos with electricity. It literally just attracts them with light, sucks them into the container, and then kills them through dehydration. The fan is quiet, odorless, and efficient and provides “continuous and noiseless operation” according to the manufacturer.
Customer reviews are mixed. Most customers gave the Apalus LED Insect Trap either 5 stars or 1 star. Typically, that means it either worked really well for some customers – or not at all. On the positive side of things, customers praised the quiet operation of the device and subtle, aesthetically-pleasing blue light.
On the negative side of things, customers who gave it one star said they had trouble catching any bugs using the Apalus LED Insect Trap. One customer said the fan wasn’t strong enough to pull in nearby bugs, and that “flies sense the stream and AVOID it.”
Overall, the Apalus LED Insect Trap doesn’t appear to be the best option for people catching houseflies – but it seems more effective for those with in-home mosquito problems. Again, this device is not intended for outdoor use.
Zapplight – Dual LED Lightbulb and Bug Light Zapper
Zapplight’s Dual LED Lightbulb and Bug Light Zapper is priced at $19.91 USD on Amazon. With nearly 500 customer reviews, Zapplight has a rating of 3 stars out of 5.
Some of the key features include the soft white 110V bulbs that not only attract bugs, but also provide adequate lighting in rooms and patios. It’s also guaranteed to work for up to 13 years.
To use the Zapplight, you place it into any 110V socket, switch the light on, and the zapper will be activated. You can toggle modes to attract different types of bugs. The light lures in the winged insects, then silently kills them with the electric grid.
Customer reviews are generally positive, although some customers have had problems. On the positive side of things, customers praised the effectiveness of the device at getting rid of mosquitos and other flying bugs. Customers also enjoyed how easy it was to use the Zapplight.
Some customers experienced minor problems – particularly with the life expectancy of the device. Although the Zapplight is guaranteed to work for up to 13 years, some said their devices failed after just 1 or 2 months. The company does offer a money back guarantee.
Buzz Kill Bug Zapper LED Bulb ($14.95)
The Buzz Kill Bug Zapper LED Bulb is another bug zapper that fits into an existing light socket. It emits 6500K natural/day bright color light. It also uses a combination LED/UV light to attract and kill all sorts of winged insects, including gnats, mosquitos, moths, and more.
The LED is also energy efficient, clocking in at 10W of energy usage (the LED bulb actually uses 9 watts, while the UV light uses 1 watt, so it adds up to 10 watts in total).
The Buzz Kill is suitable for indoor and outdoor use, although it won’t have the same huge range as some of the higher-priced options on this list.
The Buzz Kill is priced at $14.95 from Amazon.
Ready to Buy LED Bug Zappers?
Overall, there are more bug zappers and insect killers on the market today than ever before. They’re a cheap, accessible technology that’s easy for anyone to use. Read the guide above to understand everything you need to know about buying and comparing LED bug zappers online!
