Backyard campers, help me decide! Last summer, I splurged on a “heavy-duty” solar bug zapper for my family’s camping nights. The first week? Blissful silence… until the mosquitoes realized it was basically a neon buffet light. By week three, my kids renamed it “the decoy.” Now I’m torn—do solar zappers work anywhere or just in ads?
What’s your verdict? Share your wins, fails, and whether I should trash mine or try harder!
Total waste. Bought a $80 zapper, killed 1 moth and 1000 harmless gnats. Mosquitoes laughed at it.
@LindaWild You need UV wavelengths that don’t attract bees! My works great but only after I moved it 20ft from our tent. Also, clean the grid weekly!
They’re situational. Great for flies/gnats in dry weather, useless in humidity. For mosquitoes? Add a fan to blow CO2 away from your site.
Solar zappers killed my vibe—literally. The constant zzzt scared my dog and ruined the “nature sounds” playlist. Back to cedar oil spray!
Worth it ONLY if you camp in bug-light areas. In Minnesota? Forget it. Zapper became a spider graveyard.
Pair solar zappers with odorless attractants (like octenol). My Black Flag zapper + attractant cut bites by 70%.
They’re eco-friendly but high-maintenance. Rain killed my battery twice. Now I use it as a glorified lantern.
@IHeartMice Waterproof your connections with dielectric grease! Also, angle the solar panel south—doubles battery life.
@BugByte Blue light = genius! Trying this tonight. Maybe add a disco ball for full bug-rave mode?