Don’t have these models, but a few years ago I bought a pump up model. Didn’t work all that well against hard shell bugs, e.g. Palmetto bugs, the State Bird of Florida, which were the ones that I most wanted to kill. YMMV.
@Jackinga We have the pump model for spotted lantern flies. They don’t always die on the first shot (or second) but it was fun and knocked down the bugs out of reach of the fly swatter.
@blaineg@Jackinga@werehatrack Yes and they also break crickets, grasshoppers, lizards, frogs… Often those are missing heads or in the case of lizards and frogs they lose everything but the legs. They really need to build those toys better. And once my cats tried to break a crow. They were not successful. The crow was flying across the living room floor about 2’ up dragging a cat by the wing. I liberated the unharmed crow. Cats were pissed at me and for days sat watching the fireplace for a new toy.
Roaches on the other hand they break by puncturing them with claws as they learned their lesson using teeth (their stomachs did not thank them). They would break them slowly after playing with them on my bed in the middle of the night bringing them to my bed just to play with them there. The rest of the time they just watch them. Or try to steal the stick mats I use to catch them, swiping them with their paw or tail.
@Jackinga
I’ve had pretty good luck with boric acid - either pre-made pills or the bug dough recipes you can find online very easily. Stuff’s pretty benign and easy to hide behind furniture were pets won’t get into it
I have the pump model for regular house flies. I love that thing. So much fun. For some reason this year we had a ton of flies in the backyard, its fun going full john wick every couple days.
@Kidsandliz Who cares about the plants. It just gets salt freaking everywhere. I made the mistake of buying the first one, and now we’ve got multiple styles because he thinks this next one will be even better.
@blaineg I just went and shot a crosman DPMS full auto bb gun that my friend’s son had. It was a blast but you get 5, maybe 6 magazines out of a pair of CO2 cartridges. I was sorely tempted to get my own though.
@blaineg@djslack I’ve got a full auto Crosman. 25bbs in about 1.5 seconds It IS a lot fun to shoot. Especially after the holidays and you’re not quite sure what to do with that gingerbread house
I did mod it a bit as it’s essentially on an AR frame
So I’m trying to talk myself out of ordering a Crosman Vigilante as shown above and then some of the salt rounds from Bug-a-salt. If anyone had refurb Vigilantes in stock I would do it in a heartbeat, when the airgun sites have them they look like they sell for under $30.
Today I encountered another of the inch and a half horseflies that show up in my backyard from time to time, and the regular Bug-a-salt gun just angers them.
@djslack I hit a carpenter bee about 10 inches from the muzzle and it went flying. Flying to the ground, pissed off, alive, and coming back at me. I love mine, but I have never been interested in the CO2 version.
How about a $30 salt slingshot I just stumbled across?
https://www.amazon.com/Saltshot-Swatter-Insect-Portable-Patented/dp/B0B26WNM89/
Don’t have these models, but a few years ago I bought a pump up model. Didn’t work all that well against hard shell bugs, e.g. Palmetto bugs, the State Bird of Florida, which were the ones that I most wanted to kill. YMMV.
@Jackinga We have the pump model for spotted lantern flies. They don’t always die on the first shot (or second) but it was fun and knocked down the bugs out of reach of the fly swatter.
@Jackinga Does anything kill cockroaches?
@blaineg @Jackinga Sure, but you probably don’t want it in your house.
@blaineg @Jackinga Cats kill palmetto bugs by playing with them. We find a broken cat toy laying on the floor every once in a while.
@blaineg @Jackinga @werehatrack Yes and they also break crickets, grasshoppers, lizards, frogs… Often those are missing heads or in the case of lizards and frogs they lose everything but the legs. They really need to build those toys better. And once my cats tried to break a crow. They were not successful. The crow was flying across the living room floor about 2’ up dragging a cat by the wing. I liberated the unharmed crow. Cats were pissed at me and for days sat watching the fireplace for a new toy.
Roaches on the other hand they break by puncturing them with claws as they learned their lesson using teeth (their stomachs did not thank them). They would break them slowly after playing with them on my bed in the middle of the night bringing them to my bed just to play with them there. The rest of the time they just watch them. Or try to steal the stick mats I use to catch them, swiping them with their paw or tail.
@Jackinga
I’ve had pretty good luck with boric acid - either pre-made pills or the bug dough recipes you can find online very easily. Stuff’s pretty benign and easy to hide behind furniture were pets won’t get into it
I have the pump model for regular house flies. I love that thing. So much fun. For some reason this year we had a ton of flies in the backyard, its fun going full john wick every couple days.
but, to your point… I wouldnt think it would be worth it. especially considering the consumables.
@ErikRL That’s what I’m thinking. Plus it costs twice as much.
But wouldn’t getting enough salt all over the place kill plants?
@Kidsandliz It’s a pretty small amount per shot, but you could use sand if it’s a concern.
@blaineg But if they get hit by salt doesn’t that contribute to killing the bugs?
@Kidsandliz Who cares about the plants. It just gets salt freaking everywhere. I made the mistake of buying the first one, and now we’ve got multiple styles because he thinks this next one will be even better.
Man, that’s a high dollar bug shooter. But it’s tempting.
The ammo is non-reloadable so it costs 10¢ a shot for the salt, too. I do wonder if there’s a hack for that.
Under a hundo on Cyber Monday, maybe? Not that I’ll remember to look.
Towards the end this video compares the shred-er to the pump action version. As expected, it’s at least an order of magnitude more powerful.
And that lead to this. The Bug-A-Salt shredder is based on the Crosman Vigilante, which is about half the price.
This guy has about 20 videos on salt gun variants, including reloading, and a Sig Sauer air rifle.
Someone stop me before I buy a pellet gun.
@blaineg I just went and shot a crosman DPMS full auto bb gun that my friend’s son had. It was a blast but you get 5, maybe 6 magazines out of a pair of CO2 cartridges. I was sorely tempted to get my own though.
@blaineg And he says the CO2 version kills cockroaches.
@blaineg @djslack I’ve got a full auto Crosman. 25bbs in about 1.5 seconds
It IS a lot fun to shoot. Especially after the holidays and you’re not quite sure what to do with that gingerbread house 
I did mod it a bit as it’s essentially on an AR frame
@Kyeh There’s a difference?
And of course Joerg.
So I’m trying to talk myself out of ordering a Crosman Vigilante as shown above and then some of the salt rounds from Bug-a-salt. If anyone had refurb Vigilantes in stock I would do it in a heartbeat, when the airgun sites have them they look like they sell for under $30.
Today I encountered another of the inch and a half horseflies that show up in my backyard from time to time, and the regular Bug-a-salt gun just angers them.
@djslack I hit a carpenter bee about 10 inches from the muzzle and it went flying. Flying to the ground, pissed off, alive, and coming back at me. I love mine, but I have never been interested in the CO2 version.
Welp. I’m out.
Another option.
Do they kill frogs?? Or at least shoo them away??