The 5 Best Mosquito Traps | Professional Review

We all know how irritating it is to spend hundreds each summer on mosquito repellents that aren’t even that effective. Finding the best mosquito trap can be difficult, especially if the trap doesn’t meet all your needs. Sure, you can go on Amazon and look for the top-rated mosquito traps, but they don’t tell you everything that you’re going to want to know.

Our editors reviewed the best mosquito traps to see if they really work. We created this list of the top-rated mosquito traps so you know which one is the most effective for your infestation, and which one will meet all your needs. 

There are lots of simple solutions to repel mosquitoes: sprays, nets, zappers. But if your backyard gets swarms of mosquitoes, you’ll need more than a DEET spray to get rid of them. The products we’re reviewing are intentionally designed to kill mosquitoes, not just repel and ward them off. 

While rating these traps, our editors considered these five important aspects:

• How the trap works.
• The science and logic behind the design. 
• User experience. 
• Safety and environmental impact.
• Price and upkeep.

Mosquito traps cost anywhere between $20 to $1,500. If you’re willing to pay any price to get rid of mosquitoes, you should get the best one suited for all your needs. Although all our chosen traps are highly rated online, this article explains how each works and which one is best for your needs, specifically.

Also Read: How To Get Rid of Gnats

How To Kill Mosquitoes Like A Pro

You’ll need a system that baits mosquitoes then kills them. Generally, this is how professional exterminators eradicate any infestation. Understanding a mosquito’s behavior helps get rid of them faster. 

According to entomologists, the most effective way to trap mosquitoes is to essentially create an artificial cow. Creating an artificial cow lures mosquitoes away from your family. To have the ultimate mosquito-killing trap, the device will need to:

• Produce carbon dioxide. 
• Produce warmth and moisture.
• Kill current and future mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes follow trails of carbon dioxide and warmth. This is how they can easily seek out their next meal. In order for female mosquitoes to reproduce, they need a fresh meal and water. So by that logic, the perfect way to get rid of mosquitoes for good is to eliminate water and carbon dioxide. 

Other ways you can help reduce or get rid of mosquito infestations include:

• Cleaning up yard debris and gutters.
• Frequently replacing water in pools and bird baths.
• Eliminating standing water.
• Controlling water run-off.
• Controlling water drainage on your lawn.

Traditional Mosquito Traps

Most mosquito traps will provide some kind of protection. These traditional traps are just short-term solutions and don’t get to the root of the infestation. The following methods are still great ways to repel mosquitoes, but they don’t necessarily “get rid of” an infestation:

• DEET and DIY body sprays.
• Citronella candles. 
• Bug zappers. 
• Mosquito nets. 

These products do work and are easily accessible to most homeowners for less than $20. When assessing a trap’s effectiveness, our editors considered how the trap goes beyond what these products already do. These traps deter mosquitoes from getting near humans. For this review, we exclusively looked at traps that lured mosquitoes away from humans and killed them. 

Also Read: Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others

Types of Mosquito Traps

There are several types of mosquito traps that all work differently. Where you live, the type of mosquitoes you have, and other factors affect which one is the best mosquito trap for you. 

For example, more homeowners are concerned about a trap’s environmental impact. Essential pollinators like bees, birds, and butterflies can be deterred and even harmed by some mosquito traps and sprays. 

This section goes over what you should consider when finding the best mosquito trap for your home. We’ll also explain how each trap works to kill and repel mosquitoes. 

Propane Mosquito Traps

Propane traps produce their own carbon dioxide that lures mosquitoes into a trap. These traps are powerful and effective. However, they are very expensive to purchase and maintain. 

There’s also a huge safety risk with propane. It’s a highly flammable gas, so if you have kids or only have a small outdoor space, this is not the trap for you.

Heat and Light Mosquito Traps

Heat and light traps use UV lights to attract mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get sucked into these traps as soon as they get close enough. Heat and light traps are great for smaller spaces or yards with a lot of foot traffic. 

Generally, these traps can be used indoors and outdoors, making them incredibly versatile. However, this also means that they may not be as powerful or have a smaller range. If you’re running a heat and light trap 24/7, you could see a heavy spike in your utility bill. The same can be said if you need multiple traps to cover a large backyard. 

These traps are incredibly effective with mosquitoes, however, users also report other insects often get caught in the trap. To some, getting rid of all bugs is great, but that also means it kills bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators. 

Pesticide Sprays

This is the most traditional method of mosquito control. Sprays come in both natural and chemical formulas. The chemical pesticides attack a mosquito’s nervous, respiratory, and circulatory systems until they die. Commonly, these sprays use the chemical pyrethrum. 

Pyrethrum kills mosquitoes quickly, but must be continually applied. If the product does stick, you risk also harming essential pollinators or affecting other wildlife in your yard. There’s also a higher risk of harming pets, children, and even yourself. Overexposure to chemicals like pyrethrum can cause:

• Skin and eye irritations
• Headaches and dizziness
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Difficulty breathing
• Confusion and disorientation
• Seizures
• Comas

Extreme health effects may not occur until months or years after overexposure. Children and pets are more sensitive to the effects of these chemicals.

Sprays only kill adult mosquitoes, not the larvae. The spray must also directly contact the mosquito in order to have any effect. Since the spray is misted at a distance, using this product on a windy day would be incredibly unsafe. You’ll also need to purchase a professional spray nozzle to apply this product.

Our editors recommend consulting with a professional exterminator before using mosquito sprays. There may be restrictions in your area and some other safety tips the exterminator will want to share with you.

Also Read: Bifenethrin Guide

In-Ground Systems

In-ground systems are a newer form of mosquito control. They are very effective, eliminating mosquitoes now and in the future. Because these systems take a lot of careful placement and know-how, you will need the help of a professional exterminator. 

These systems work by killing both adults and larvae. Female mosquitoes lay eggs in contaminated water that kills off the larvae. The mosquito is also contaminated with a biological fungus that she carries to other possible breeding grounds around your home. Within a few days, both the mosquitoes and larvae die off.  

Since they’re more contained, there’s no risk harming yourself or others. They’re also formulated to only attack mosquitoes. No other wildlife or pollinators are harmed. 

There’s minimal upkeep with these traps, but they do need to be cleaned and refreshed. How often the traps need to be cleaned depends on how extensive your mosquito infestation is, and what your exterminator recommends.

DIY Mosquito Traps

With just some yeast, sugar, and water, you can create your carbon dioxide producing trap. The carbon dioxide lures mosquitoes into a pool of water. In theory, the mosquitoes would then drown in the water. 

DIY mosquito traps are the most affordable solution, but there’s not always a guarantee that they work. Results may vary depending on your trap and infestation. There’s little risk to testing out a DIY mosquito trap, but it can be a waste of time if that’s your only form of protection. 

Also Read: 5 Natural Pest Control DIYs

Setting Up A Trap Like A Pro

Dropping lots of money on the best mosquito trap you can buy is useless if it’s not set up correctly. When setting up your trap for success, you’ll want to be mindful of the following:

Breeding grounds. Look for water sources from bird baths, water features, puddles, or gutters. Eliminate as much water as possible so the mosquitoes don’t have a reason to stay for too long. 

Airflow. Assess which way the wind flows. You may find more success depending on which way your trap faces. Mosquitoes fly upwind when looking for blood and fly downwind after a hefty meal. However, on windy days, your mosquitoes might not be able to fly easily into the trap.

Shade. Mosquitoes generally stay away from direct sun. They like to swarm in shady areas.  

Foot Traffic. Keep your trap away from people and other areas people gather in your backyard.

Grassy areas. CO2 is heavier than air, which means grassy areas can affect how easily they can smell the CO2 or bait from your trap. Keep your trap in open areas.  

Environmental impact. If you have pets or like to garden, consider how your trap can be hazardous to other wildlife. Some of these traps also lure and kill essential pollinators like bees or butterflies. 

If you really want to set your mosquito trap up for success, consult a local exterminator. Asking a local professional for advice on set up is the best way to get the most effective results. Local exterminators know what kind of mosquitoes are common to your area, meaning they know how your mosquitoes behave and react to the environment.

To find a local exterminator and get some advice on setting up your trap, call Pest Brigade. We connect our users to local partners whenever you call.  

The 5 Best Mosquito Traps

Our top five list has products that range from $12 to over $1,000. Some of these traps can be used both indoors and outdoors too! The systems that are maintained by a pest control company will have an initial setup fee and monthly maintenance fees. If you use one of our recommendations, tell us what you thought about it in the comments.

Read our Amazon Affiliate Disclosure here!

Best In-Ground System: In2Care (Editor’s Pick)

In2Care is the best in-ground system that kills off adult mosquitoes and larvae. This trap is also our top pick overall. 

We love this trap the most because it’s targeted and eliminates the problem at the source. Because this product is set up by a professional, you don’t even have to think about where to move or place your trap. Just leave it all up to your exterminator!

Unlike a spray, the mosquito-killing formula is kept isolated in the system. And unlike all the other products, you won’t run the risk of harming other wildlife. In2Care’s formula only kills-off mosquitoes and nothing else.  

This product is EPA approved and one of the safest on our list. However, In2Care is not available in: 

• Idaho
• Montana 
• North Dakota
• South Dakota 
• Wyoming
• Wisconsin

Generally, there is the initial set-up fee as well as maintenance fees during mosquito season. Most homeowners found they had mosquito-free yards all summer with In2Care. Because this system needs to be set up by an approved professional, you won’t find customer reviews for it on Amazon. But if you want more information on this trap, check out our other reviews below.

Also Read: Is In2Care Really The Best Mosquito Trap?

Best Heat and Light Trap: DynaTrap

If you look up “mosquito trap” on Amazon, DynaTrap is likely the first one you’ll find. DynaTrap is owned by the makers of Terro. If you’ve had ants before, you’ve likely used a couple of their other products before. 

This system is easy to use and set up. All you need to do is assemble, put it in the right place, and plug it in. If you get stuck, there’s lots of reviews online that can help you out.  

I put this device in areas where I get flocked by mosquitos. The trap is near our pool equipment, but about 20 feet away from where we will be. Prior to deployment, I’d get 10 to 15 [mosquitoes] on me within seconds. Most mosquitos don’t travel more than 25 to 40 feet from where they hatch. The instructions say to put this 20 feet from where you will be, so I put this in vegetation that sits near the pool where I think many of the mosquitos come from. I then went on the other side of the pool and put another Dynatrap about 20 feet from where we would be. I have a huge yard (1.5 acres) so I figured having two would be enough.

Amazon customer review

If you have a smaller yard, this trap is perfect. If you have a larger space, you may need more than one trap for it to be really effective. Keep this in mind when calculating your upkeep costs.

Although the trap is safe and won’t harm most other wildlife, other insects can fly into the trap. Some users reported that flies, silverfish, and other insects did fly into the trap. There is a chance that bees, butterflies, or ladybugs can fly into the trap.

If you can’t get an in-ground system, the DynaTrap is the next best option.

Buy the DynaTrap here!

Best Misting System: Ortho Home Defence Insect Killer

Misting or spraying pesticides was once the best way to stop pests from coming into your backyard. Recent studies show that these sprays aren’t that effective and hurt your environment more than they protect it. We recommend consulting an exterminator if you do choose this route, as some jurisdictions also have restrictions.

The best spray solution we found was the Ortho Home Defense spray. You only need an additional spray nozzle to apply this product. It can be used on lawns and gardens, including on flowers. Do not apply to sidewalks, driveways, or anywhere with water runoffs. 

Ortho has a product guarantee and claims it’s safe to use around wildlife. This product also protects against:

• Ants
• Fleas
• Ticks
• Spiders
• Cutworms
• Crickets

We chose this product because it’s affordable, environmentally conscious, and works on multiple pests. The reason this trap didn’t make one of our top spots is it still needs direct contact and doesn’t directly kill mosquitoes.  

Buy Ortho Home Defense here!   

Best Indoor Trap: Katchy Fly Trap

Our editors wanted to also give our readers an indoor option. The Katchy doesn’t zap bugs, but works similarly to a heat and light trap. It uses a UV light to attract flying bugs, then sucks them in until they get stuck on the sticky paper inside. 

This trap has a small, lovely design that won’t stick out like a sore thumb. You only need to replace the sticky pads once they’ve been worn. The Katchy can be used to protect your home from:

• Mosquitoes 
• Flies
• Aphids
• Fungus Gnats
• And more

This trap is really worth the initial investment, yet is still very affordable. It’s easily portable, you can really use it anywhere as long as you have an AC power unit.

It won’t be powerful enough to protect your entire backyard, but it can protect you in smaller spaces. 

Buy the Katchy Fly Trap here!

Best Propane Trap: Mosquito Magnet MM3300B

Our team had a difficult time choosing a propane mosquito trap. This was the only trap that had average reviews overall. Most propane mosquito traps we reviewed had very poor customer reviews and were crazy expensive, even without the propane. 

What most users didn’t like about these traps were the price. Propane mosquito traps retail between $600 to over $1,000. In addition to crazy upfront costs, you’ll have to continually replace the propane and buy a separate tank for your machine.

For the amount you’d pay for a mosquito trap, it should really be worth it. However, even the makers of our top propane trap say that the trap takes 7 to 10 days to start working. And most users had issues setting up the trap or had missing parts.  

Buy the Mosquito Magnet MM3300B here!

What’s The Best Mosquito Trap?

Depending on who you are and your needs, the best mosquito trap for you might not be our editor’s top pick. Each of these traps work differently and have different benefits.

In our expert opinion, if you have a large outdoor space, live in the South, or just want the extra protection, go with In2Care. You can call Pest Brigade to connect with a local exterminator for quotes, or go to In2Care’s website to see if there’s a specialist near you.

If you want the next best thing because you have a smaller space or want to do it on your own, use a combination of the DynaTrap, Katchy, and Ortho Home Defense. These are all very affordable and easy-to-use options. 

You don’t need to spend thousands to get rid of your mosquitoes. So despite propane traps being the most expensive option, they really aren’t the best mosquito trap.

If you need extra help with your mosquito infestation, you can always call Pest Brigade to connect with a local exterminator for consultation or advice.