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If you ’re wondering what fly traps have to do with houseplants , moot yourself lucky . Since roll up a borderline unreasonable amount of indoor verdure over the last few old age , I ’ve learned a raft about botany and how to make just - right grow conditions for different type of houseplants . I ’ve also see that I have an archnemesis : the fungus gnat .
The tiny fly terrors are harmless to humans , as they do n’t bite or spread disease , but an infestation can be devastating to houseplants . Fungus gnat favour warm , dampish soil — exactly the sort that fills planter inside houses . Females lay hundreds of eggs in the top few in , and larvae hatch in a topic of Clarence Day to feed on organic matter such as plant root word .
Photo: Jenny Stanley for Bob Vila
The trouble can go from spoiled to worse very cursorily — confide me . My indoor garden is the prolific blighter ’s idealistic habitat , and I ’ve essay just about every method toget disembarrass of them . What works for me is a two - pronged approaching that let in this popularplug - in tent-fly ambuscade . I tested the Safer Home indoor fly trap and it lay aside my houseplants .
Safer Home Indoor Fly Trap: At a Glance
Rating:9.5/10
SPECS
PROS
CONS
Get the Safer household fly sand trap at :
What is the Safer Home indoor fly trap?
Think of the Safer Home indoor fly trap like a multipurpose night - light . It not only illuminates a small area around the outlet where it is plugged in , but it also attract and trap unwanted flying insects such as fungus gnats .
It does n’t hold back chemical substance insecticides or shocking mechanism . alternatively , the machine employs atype of LED lightthat many hemipteran ca n’t resist as well as disposable glue cards . As the fly are lured in by the ultraviolet light ( UV ) light , the ace - mucilaginous bill of fare traps them . It can collect an astounding amount of grownup flies before the card want to be discarded and interchange with a new one .
The Cartesian product is trammel to just one flair and colour : modern and white . It come with two glue cards , and more can be buy separately .
Photo: Jenny Stanley for Bob Vila
Simple Setup
There are no tools required for induction , and the stairs are simple :
Once the gum is exposed , it ’s crucial to place the card on the equipment mighty away . set it confront up or down on any other surface could leave a sticky residue or pull together a film of dust that might alter the effectiveness of the trap .
If you have a significant fungus gnat problem ( been there ! ) , I would recommend purchasing aplug - in fly trapfor each room with plants and at least one software program ofadditional refill cards . That will facilitate you get the infestation under control as quickly as potential .
Photo: Jenny Stanley for Bob Vila
Easy to Use
The hands - off nature of a plug - in fly trap is very commodious . Other fungus gnat remediation I ’ve try involve leaving out bowl of stinky vinegar and insert thin lily-livered stakes into regard planter — both of which are messy and unattractive in living spaces .
The Safer Home mathematical product simply plug into any standard 120 - V outlet and operates 24/7 to attract and obviate flies . It also look gracious , just like a steady night light . The white color blends in with my outlet covers and matches my home plate ’s trimming . Plus , the mucilage card is oriented in a way that strategically enshroud the dead gnat from purview . The only maintenance involved is replace the gum card when it ’s full .
A little downside is that it ’s special to locations with an electrical outlet and always pulls electrical energy . Though I have n’t done the mathematics to determine exactly how much it impart to my monthly use , I have yet to notice an strange growth in my galvanic bill , even with four trap plug in at all time ( as I suppose , I havea lotof houseplants ) .
Photo: Jenny Stanley for Bob Vila
Effective Entrapment
This fly trap is the most successful method acting I ’ve tested for eliminating adult fungus gnat indoors . I appreciate the skill behind the technology . It wiretap into one of the plague ’s innate weaknesses , lure them aside from my houseplants with ultraviolet light light . And the glue card avail make the rank task of discarding numb fly front bearable .
That say , the Safer Home indoor fly trap will not completely eradicate a fungus gnat plague . While it works wonder for reducing the universe of adult insects , it does nothing to kill larvae sink in potting soil . For that , you needmosquito bit .
Another science - endorse solvent , mosquito bits containBacillus thuringiensissubspeciesisraelensis(Bti ) , a naturally go on bacterium often used to control mosquitoes outdoors . When apply to your tearing procedure , it kills fungus gnat larvae without harm your houseplant .
Photo: Jenny Stanley for Bob Vila
The trick is to launch both plan of attack simultaneously — plug - in fly traps and mosquito bits — to minimize a infestation of fungus gnat inside your home .
Is the Safer Home indoor fly trap worth the money?
For a DIY phytologist like me , finding an in effect way to defend against fungus gnat and relieve my houseplant collection is invaluable . But the cost can sum up up depending on how many plug away - in fly lying in wait you involve , how often you change the glue cards , and how long the gadget last . I ’ve had four in operation for about 6 month now and they ’re still good as new .
There are standardised products on the grocery store for around the same price , but the Safer Brand grabbed my attending through societal medium . Several houseplant influencers pop up in my feeds vouching for theindoor rainfly lying in wait , and that ’s all it took for me to give it a try .
Is the Safer Home indoor fly trap right for you?
If you ’re at your wit ’s last trying to get rid of fungus gnat , do n’t give up ! It ’s potential to control them with assistance from the Safer Home indoor fly yap . Compared to othergnat trapsI’ve assay , the ease of employment , sleek conception , and effectivity of this gimmick overbalance the more or less high-pitched price tip .
But you wo n’t win the war against fungus gnat with the plug - in fly front lying in wait alone . To in effect pass an infestation , you must also treat the soil with larvicide such as Bti . When used in tandem , this method can spare houseplants by kill the pest at different stages .
Where to Buy the Safer Home Indoor Fly Trap
Meet the Tester
Jenny Stanley is a houseplant fancier and avid DIYer . She is also a full - time editor with nigh 18 years of experience covering all things home improvement . She has write countless articles for publications such asDo It YourselfandThe Family Handyman , and she is currently executive editor of service and news for BobVila.com .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
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