@ergomeh Regular flies aren’t particularly attracted to it, either. A couple of kinds of “sewer fly” are attracted to light. Flying ants often are, but that’s a short-lived and seasonal problem when it happens. Mosquitoes usually aren’t. (Apparently there are mosquito species that respond to some wavelengths, but most don’t.) Crane flies might be attracted to a lit area, but I don’t see them clustered around the porch light. The kinds of bug you’ll see flying in huge clouds under a streetlight are seldom found indoors.
Looks like it has visible light as well as UV. Wonder if it having both means it attracts more insects? I like sleeping in a dark room, but some sort of insect trap would be nice. I’m beginning to think the housefly is the state bird of Arkansas.
Call me simple minded, but why the sticky tape that needs replacing? If I had been on the design team, I’d have added a low current, high voltage transformer like some air cleaners use, and zapped the bugs instead.
@einrad that would work but then they couldn’t continue selling you refills. Inventions to only solve problems vs capitalism, usually capitalism wins the strategy too often sadly.
@einrad
Sure, that’s better. Also more costly than sticky tape. Noisier too (have tried one of those outside). But zapper would be a one-time expense as said.
Mosquitoes are attracted by warm-blooded animal scents and specifically CO2 as they get closer. Plastic and lights doesn’t do it for them. So, flies, gnats, something, something, but not likely mosquitoes, except by accident.
@einrad@scilynt
Are you anti-capitalist? Capitalism in America has fed people worldwide, for more than a century. Saved unknown numbers from starvation. It has improved the lives of literally billions of people worldwide. It has raised literally billions of people out of poverty. Advances in medicine and science in America have saved and/or improved the lives of people in every culture, in every nation, all over the planet. Yet people criticize America for using too large a percentage of the world’s energy - and so on and on. No other country and no other economic system has ever done so much good in the world, in the history of the human species. And to operate, the LED light in this unit uses a small fraction of the energy it takes to operate a fan and/or zapper. And if you buy a bulk lot of sticky bug or mouse traps on Amazon you can cut them to fit, for a fraction of the cost that they will sell you replacements made specifically for this appliance.
@drz Please don’t turn this forum political. I like reading funny, enjoyable, quirky and snarky things.
My thought comes from my understanding of electronics. The zapping part shouldn’t use a lot of energy: I said “low current”. I think it could even operate in intervals. I believe the biggest chunk of electricity used would be the LEDs used to attract the bugs. And if the transformers from those wall socket air ionizers are suitable, it should also be fairly cheap to implement.
@drz@einrad no I’m not anti-capitalsm. But capitalism without aggressive guide rails leads to unchecked runaway capitalism that will be our downfall. Our lives, from conception to death are already monetized for profits. We are the richest country in human history and yet still have staring and homeless children, families going bankrupt and going homeless due to medical emergencies and illness, and the majority of American citizens are living literally paycheck to paycheck, one accident, illness or surprise bill away from financial ruin.
@Mandamm Strange… we have the dimensions at 7" x 14" as stated in Amazon’s product photos, but that can’t be right based on user images. My guess is 2.5" wide x 5" tall, close to the size of a standard outlet.
the sticky paper is actually pre-loaded with bug eggs, and when they hatch, the bugs just get stuck on the paper immediately, so it looks like it’s working. take a look at the bugs this device “catches,” none of them will be native to your area.
@gwrankin For years, a trailer park a few miles from us had a big sign advertising that the place was “Quite and Convenient.” We chuckled every time we drove by, and now use the phrase occasionally…
I purchased the Katchy Indoor Plug-in Insect Trap, but it doesn’t work. A drain fly landed on the glue side, walked around a bit, walked to the other side and flew away.
On the rare occasion that we have any flies, they’re houseflies, which are not even mentioned on the optimistic list of flies this product might attract.
Hard pass.
And I hope you people who get the future IRKs find a lot of enjoyment when you get 6 of these.
@richrauch Honestly, I would, because either my fruitflies would finally die, or I would be glad I hadn’t spent money on a product with pretty meh reviews.
I got a better deal for a similar but different brand on Temu (includes sticky refills; even has an on/off switch with an adjustable bright blue light.) Plugged it in by my kitchen sink and it has caught tons of gnats, bitty drain bugs, and even flies.
I have something similar, and it has trapped 2, yes 2, bugs in a year. I’m currently fighting fungus gnats from an old potted plant the wife brought in the house, and not one damn gnat went anywhere near the trap. It does have a cool blue glow as a sticky nightlight though.
I prefer to be humane an electrocute them. Who wants to watch a bug struggle and starve?
Meh has sold those before.
You can find similar on Amazon. Be warned I did have one at my desk and there was a bug graveyard behind my laptop I had to wipe up. They are handy cause you can leave them on in the dock and passively get them but grab it and swat something evasive
You better watch where you stick your froghood.
<img src=“blob:chrome-untrusted://media-app/28873b39-b228-4bb8-b5fc-ad99ec9d9465” alt=“venustrap.webp”/>
I have to comment after having this for about a week that it doesn’t seem to attract any flies to the flypaper. However, it does attract small moths who like to sit behind the fly paper on the wall.
I do like the way it looks as a night light, so I’m not disappointed.
Specs
Product: 4-Pack: Teal Elite UV Insect Trap with 20 refills
Model: 2037407
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$29.78 (for 4) at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 14 - Tuesday, Jul 15
Well well well.
@Echenanci J-hooooon Redcorn.
For all other pests, there’s the “AI” trap.
@DrunkCat And how are you enjoying the AI?
@DrunkCat soooo how does that work
So does the A.I. tell ya it killed some bugs are you’re supposed to believe it
. 
Too bad this trap couldn’t get rid of bugs in the “@DrunkCat” bot’s programming, starting with the one letter response to posts mentioning it.
@yakkoTDI k
I’m getting clobbered by bugs so I’ll buy this.
I just covered my house with geckos and spiders to take care of the bugs.
@yakkoTDI What happens when you’re overrun with lizards and spiders?
@mcanavino @yakkoTDI Then you release the Australian venomous spike toads.
@deenK But aren’t the toads even worse?
A whopping 3.3 stars put of 5 on Amazon, sign me up!
Just thinking about bugs has me itching again.
Maybe it’s all in my head. Gosh, I really hope not. That would be really gross.
Checked out Amazon reviews on em, think a fly Swatter might work better
Wonder if they have any with A.I.
@lonocat bugs like grasshoppers are about the perfect junk food. First bite is crunchy and then they melt in your mouth. Best spicy and deep fried…
Fruit flies are not attracted to light.
@ergomeh Regular flies aren’t particularly attracted to it, either. A couple of kinds of “sewer fly” are attracted to light. Flying ants often are, but that’s a short-lived and seasonal problem when it happens. Mosquitoes usually aren’t. (Apparently there are mosquito species that respond to some wavelengths, but most don’t.) Crane flies might be attracted to a lit area, but I don’t see them clustered around the porch light. The kinds of bug you’ll see flying in huge clouds under a streetlight are seldom found indoors.
Neither are mosquitoes. Gnats I will give them, although it seems to only be the light from my iPad when in bed for the night.
Looks like it has visible light as well as UV. Wonder if it having both means it attracts more insects? I like sleeping in a dark room, but some sort of insect trap would be nice. I’m beginning to think the housefly is the state bird of Arkansas.
@BethanyAnne according to a good friend of mine, the mosquito is the state bird of Alaska.
The housefly may still be available.
Call me simple minded, but why the sticky tape that needs replacing? If I had been on the design team, I’d have added a low current, high voltage transformer like some air cleaners use, and zapped the bugs instead.
@einrad that would work but then they couldn’t continue selling you refills. Inventions to only solve problems vs capitalism, usually capitalism wins the strategy too often sadly.
@einrad
Sure, that’s better. Also more costly than sticky tape. Noisier too (have tried one of those outside). But zapper would be a one-time expense as said.
Mosquitoes are attracted by warm-blooded animal scents and specifically CO2 as they get closer. Plastic and lights doesn’t do it for them. So, flies, gnats, something, something, but not likely mosquitoes, except by accident.
@einrad @scilynt
Are you anti-capitalist? Capitalism in America has fed people worldwide, for more than a century. Saved unknown numbers from starvation. It has improved the lives of literally billions of people worldwide. It has raised literally billions of people out of poverty. Advances in medicine and science in America have saved and/or improved the lives of people in every culture, in every nation, all over the planet. Yet people criticize America for using too large a percentage of the world’s energy - and so on and on. No other country and no other economic system has ever done so much good in the world, in the history of the human species. And to operate, the LED light in this unit uses a small fraction of the energy it takes to operate a fan and/or zapper. And if you buy a bulk lot of sticky bug or mouse traps on Amazon you can cut them to fit, for a fraction of the cost that they will sell you replacements made specifically for this appliance.
@drz Please don’t turn this forum political. I like reading funny, enjoyable, quirky and snarky things.
My thought comes from my understanding of electronics. The zapping part shouldn’t use a lot of energy: I said “low current”. I think it could even operate in intervals. I believe the biggest chunk of electricity used would be the LEDs used to attract the bugs. And if the transformers from those wall socket air ionizers are suitable, it should also be fairly cheap to implement.
In fact a bit of searching revealed that such a design already exists (dang, there goes another opportunity to make a ton of money!): https://www.amazon.com/Zappers-Indoors-Electronic-Mosquito-Bedroom/dp/B0DZGYBSB5
Maybe we’ll see something like this on Meh in the future. I’d be curious to see how well they work.
@drz @einrad no I’m not anti-capitalsm. But capitalism without aggressive guide rails leads to unchecked runaway capitalism that will be our downfall. Our lives, from conception to death are already monetized for profits. We are the richest country in human history and yet still have staring and homeless children, families going bankrupt and going homeless due to medical emergencies and illness, and the majority of American citizens are living literally paycheck to paycheck, one accident, illness or surprise bill away from financial ruin.
@scilynt Well, at least we can all agree that we have the most expensive guide rails in human history.
The reviews at the Mothership were pretty bad, Plus, did you look at the Dimensions of that bad boy? HUGE. So, Hard Pass.
@Mandamm Strange… we have the dimensions at 7" x 14" as stated in Amazon’s product photos, but that can’t be right based on user images. My guess is 2.5" wide x 5" tall, close to the size of a standard outlet.
@Mandamm @troy Probably a confusion between in and cm by the person editing the images who has never seen the actual product in real life.
KuoH
@kuoh I think you’re right. Probably a ‘s/cm$/in/g’ job. Lazy copy editing!
the sticky paper is actually pre-loaded with bug eggs, and when they hatch, the bugs just get stuck on the paper immediately, so it looks like it’s working. take a look at the bugs this device “catches,” none of them will be native to your area.
@omally Well.Thanks for that thought lol. Off to check the only one of these worthless things I own
Enjoy a QUITE night, folks!
@gwrankin For years, a trailer park a few miles from us had a big sign advertising that the place was “Quite and Convenient.” We chuckled every time we drove by, and now use the phrase occasionally…
So… fly paper.
@MrJazz You’re not wrong, though this is marginally more eye-pleasing.
I purchased the Katchy Indoor Plug-in Insect Trap, but it doesn’t work. A drain fly landed on the glue side, walked around a bit, walked to the other side and flew away.
@sdmitch16 they have evolved
@sdmitch16 @troy
The flies, or Katchy?
@punkynpye @sdmitch16 The flies!
I use a flyswatter and the electric tennis racket
️
On the rare occasion that we have any flies, they’re houseflies, which are not even mentioned on the optimistic list of flies this product might attract.
Hard pass.
And I hope you people who get the future IRKs find a lot of enjoyment when you get 6 of these.
@richrauch Honestly, I would, because either my fruitflies would finally die, or I would be glad I hadn’t spent money on a product with pretty meh reviews.
I got a better deal for a similar but different brand on Temu (includes sticky refills; even has an on/off switch with an adjustable bright blue light.) Plugged it in by my kitchen sink and it has caught tons of gnats, bitty drain bugs, and even flies.
I am clamoring for a meh-rathon.
@RT97
/giphy meh-rathon
I’m going to try these for fruit flies and see how they do. Getting to be about that time of year.
/showme awestruck-substantial-light
Already have a katchy that works, but these are a cheap thing to try.
/giphy meddlesome-dreadful-bedroom
@mediocrebot Yeah, that’s what it feels like on bad bug daze.
Ohhhhh, mediocrebot is doing a “/showme” response. Now I get it. Scary.
Testing mediocrebot :
/showme scary-bug-catcher
@mediocrebot Thank you! Let’s do more …
/showme happy-bug-eater
@mediocrebot Ok, a froggy sticker or statue on the gizmos looks like a win to me.
I have something similar, and it has trapped 2, yes 2, bugs in a year. I’m currently fighting fungus gnats from an old potted plant the wife brought in the house, and not one damn gnat went anywhere near the trap. It does have a cool blue glow as a sticky nightlight though.
I prefer to be humane an electrocute them. Who wants to watch a bug struggle and starve?
Meh has sold those before.
You can find similar on Amazon. Be warned I did have one at my desk and there was a bug graveyard behind my laptop I had to wipe up. They are handy cause you can leave them on in the dock and passively get them but grab it and swat something evasive
There are others in different formfactors.
I have this, no longer available. Running for two year near litter boxes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ3D4Z9M?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2
But there are others.
@unksol You need to upgrade those.
@unksol I have these too. Or at least one of them, I think maybe I gave one away. But I do enjoy how these work.
You better watch where you stick your froghood.
<img src=“blob:chrome-untrusted://media-app/28873b39-b228-4bb8-b5fc-ad99ec9d9465” alt=“venustrap.webp”/>
I have to comment after having this for about a week that it doesn’t seem to attract any flies to the flypaper. However, it does attract small moths who like to sit behind the fly paper on the wall.
I do like the way it looks as a night light, so I’m not disappointed.