For those who love to spend time outdoors or open their windows and doors to enjoy the cool night air, mosquitoes can be a big problem. Besides sucking blood to feed their young, these pests also carry and spread deadly diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. The good news is that a mosquito killer can help you fight off these annoying pests.
Traditional chemical repellent sprays and wristbands are great for keeping mosquitoes away from your skin, but they don’t kill larvae and eggs, the early stages of a mosquito’s life cycle. To kill mosquitoes at every stage of their life, you need multiple tools in your arsenal. In addition to using a mosquito killer, we recommend applying bug repellent sprays like STEM Fly Mosquito & Gnat Spray for indoor and outdoor use and the OFF! Outdoor Repellant Fogger for outdoor areas.
Another option is to add mosquito-killing larvicide to any standing water in your yard. This will prevent mosquitoes from hatching, growing, and maturing in shady, cool, moist environments where they breed. Our top pick for this category is the Syngenta Demand CS Mosquito Larvicide, which you can apply to bird baths, fish ponds, rain barrels, and other containers. This product is safe for aquatic environments and won’t harm fish, non-target species, or other plants in your yard.
In2Care’s CDC-approved trap is similar to the trap we reviewed above, but it uses a special fungus that slowly kills adult mosquitoes and a larvacide that destroys their eggs. The fungus is spread through the water to kill mosquitoes at the source and prevent them from spreading to other breeding sites. The larvacide is spread through the water in a time-release briquette form and works to break down the mosquito larva’s protective outer coating.
Unlike the traps that lure mosquitoes in with carbon dioxide (CO2) or UV light, the Flowtron Electronic Mosquito Trap actually kills mosquitoes on contact by using a 15-watt ultraviolet lamp and a specially designed trapping screen. It does not require any propane, glue, or toxic bait and can be used around the home to control mosquitoes in yards up to half an acre.
This mosquito trap is also the only one we tested that features a magnetic closure to prevent accidental opening and closing. Its patented design ensures that the trap won’t be accidentally triggered by wind or pets. The Flowtron also has an indicator LED that lets you know it’s working and has a replaceable battery that lasts up to two years. In addition, the Flowtron is made from recycled plastic and is BPA- and phthalate-free. It is available in a range of attractive colors. For more information, check out the Flowtron’s website. The Patriot, also by Mosquito Magnet, is a great alternative that has similar trapping capabilities. This model has a hood to keep out the sun and is made from recycled materials. The hood is easy to remove for cleaning.