This $21 Insect Trap Has Solved My Annoying Gnat Problem Once and for All (And It’s Not a Total Eyesore)
Every week, I compilea list of Apartment Therapy editors’ go-to product recs, beloved brand launches, wishlist finds, etc. I typically send a Slack reminder to share ideas, and my most recent callout surprisingly turned into an impromptu fan club for an unexpected, fairly un-sexy item: an insect trap.
Turns out,Zevo’s flying insect traphas quite the AT following — Megan Baker Detloff, AT’s home projects director, initially sang this product’s praises via Slack, with deputy editor Kelly and Cleaning & Organizing editor Stephanie following suit. Even I have reaped this bug trap’s benefits: after recently (and ambitiously) welcoming abird of paradiseinto my meager houseplant collection, my apartment has since turned into a gnat playground. Home Depot happened to send me this trap in a press mailer, and I was admittedly skeptical of its efficacy, but just days after initially plugging it in my space became almost entirely bug-free.
Here’s how it works: The base resembles a night light, with built-in blue and UV LEDs designed to attract gnats and flies. A removable cartridge with an adhesive back then traps unwanted insects, and you can eventually replace and refill this as needed — the Home Depot site suggests checking on it every 15 days. The whole trap measures just 7 inches tall, 4.5 inches wide, and 3.3 inches deep, plus it can rotate sideways to better accommodate certain outlets.
Because of the blue light this emits, I’ve found that the trap works best overnight. I set mine up in a corner of my living room, and it did take a few days to really start catching critters, but within a week I had a noticeable lack of bugs buzzing around. In fact, this trapped so many initially that I’ve already had to order a new cartridge refill — itreallyworks, better than anyat-home remedyI’ve tried. Once I tackled my living room, I even relocated it to my windowless bathroom, where I’m pleased to report it’s had continued success. Best of all, because the sticky portion slides into the back of the trap, my bug graveyard stays completely out of sight.
Clearly, given my coworker’s impassioned Slack messages, I’m not the only one in need of a bug trap right now — after all, ’tis the season of indoor insect central. Note that this doesn’t catch cockroaches, mosquitoes, or ants, but it is perfect for those annoying fruit flies lingering around your kitchen sink or all-over-the-place little gnats. For $20.97 via Home Depot, you getthe Zevo plug-in base and one adhesive cartridge, witha pair of refillsalso available separately for $7.47. Thanks to this compact device, I’ve gone from swatting away bugs every five to ten minutes (even during Zoom calls) to never having to worry about them again. Plus, it’s scent-free, barely noticeable, and plugs in just about anywhere — no table or countertop space needed.