For people with mobility issues, these 5 traps catch house flies so you don’t have to

Everyone hates having flies in their house. They don’t necessarily pose a threat, but the incessant buzzing is enough to drive the sanest of humans up a wall.

For folks with mobility issues or visual impairment, these annoyances are made all the more frustrating. After all, if you can’t see a fly or move fast enough to swat it, removing these tiny, unwanted house guests becomes an exceptionally difficult chore.

I’ve lived over three decades of life with cerebral palsy, and from experience, dealing with pesky flies is a problem for me. Luckily, there’s a wide range of products on the market designed to solve it.

The question remains, though; do popular fly traps work? To find out, the lab experts at Reviewed tested four popular chemical and plug-in fly traps, alongside a DIY mixture. We released 300 fruit flies into two controlled enclosures over 24 hours to find which traps deliver on the promise of catching flies, and how easy each one is to use for people with limited dexterity or visual impairment. The results may surprise you.

The popular picks: Zevo Flying Insect Trap versus Terro Fruit Fly Trap

In the world of indoor fly traps, two of the most popular options for consumers to buy are the Zevo Flying Insect Trap and Terro Fruit Fly Trap. While both are well known, the two products operate quite differently.

Zevo Flying Insect Trap

• Grossness level: Low
• Ease of use: Medium
• Trap life: Replace film when full
• Flies caught: 29

Like other plug-in sticky traps, the Zevo Flying Insect Trap preys on bugs’ attraction to light. The plugs emit light to lure in their targets, which are then caught in the sticky paper surface nearby.

In our experiment with lab-raised fruit flies, the Zevo was our best performing plug-in, luring 29 flies overnight. To use, simply remove the sticky film from its adhesive back and slide the film into the base. Even with low dexterity or vision, it’s a process most could complete instantly or with a little practice. Compared to other plug-in traps featured below, this one seemed the most disability friendly to us.

When plugged in, the Zevo Flying Insect Trap shines a blue light that could double as a night light in dark houses. The key to its success is its large size—measuring 7 inches high and 4 inches wide—that provides plenty of surface area for flies or gnats to get stuck.

This means the trap itself is a bit larger than its competitors, but, if getting rid of bugs and flies is your top concern, there are more unsightly ways to do it. It’s got a modern aesthetic that should mesh with most home décor.

The Zevo pack we purchased features three refill cartridges, though packs of four cartridges can be purchased separately for around $13 each.

Terro Fruit Fly Trap

• Grossness level: Medium
• Ease of use: Medium
• Trap life: 45 days
• Flies caught: 40

The Terro Fruit Fly Trap, on the other hand, is a chemical-based trap containing a variant of the classic fly-trapping combo of vinegar and soap. Vinegar attracts the flies, while soap disrupts the surface tension of the fluid to ensure flies get trapped.

The Terro Trap has two halves that are pieced together to resemble a plastic apple. When whole, squirt half of the attractant formula into the center hole of the trap. A window on the side of the trap allows users to ensure the liquid level is correct.

It goes without saying that snapping these two small halves together and then squeezing a bottle of liquid may not be something those with reduced dexterity or sight will be easily able to do. Though, because the Terro Fly Trap is designed to be thrown away after 45 days, you shouldn’t have to open the trap again once it’s set up.

In this case there are no liquid refills necessary. You can just buy another pack of traps from the link below.

Other indoor fly traps worth considering

While Zevo and Terro may be two of the bigger players on the block when it comes to killing bugs, we tested a few more fly traps that proved to be surprisingly formidable in our comparison test.

Safer Home Plug-In Indoor Fly Trap

• Grossness level: Low
• Ease of use: Medium
• Trap life: Replace insert when full
• Flies caught: 17

The Safer Home Plug-In Indoor Fly Trap is similar to the Zevo in philosophy. It uses a combination of a UV light and adhesive strip to lure flies, moths, gnats, and more.

Each strip resembles a large index card. All users need to do is peel off the adhesive backing and then stick the card into the slot on the top of the base. When plugged in, the UV light shines to create an attractive light source pests can’t resist.

While at first blush the Safer Home Trap appeared to be a slam dunk for usability, trouble came when it was time to remove the card. Its sticky adhesive made the attachment difficult to remove, which could be a dealbreaker for those with limited hand control.

The strip’s smaller surface area compared to Zevo also meant it attracted fewer flies in the end. Though, this trap might still be a great choice for someone who wants a product with a smaller physical footprint and may not have a major fly infestation.

Glue Card refills can be purchased in packs for three for just $7.

Aunt Fannie’s FlyPunch

• Grossness level: Medium
• Ease of use: High (as long as you can prevent spills)
• Trap life: 30 days
• Flies caught: 53

Aunt Fanny’s FlyPunch has a name that attracts and repels in equal measure, but this chemical-based product is actually the most effective fly trap we tested. It’s got the traditional vinegar and soap mix as a base, but the formula’s added fruit aromas truly work.

To use, just remove the adhesive below the bottle cover, and then leave the cover open for up to 30 days. Anyone who’s able to open a parmesan cheese or kitchen spice container should be able to make this work.

Its biggest accessibility hurdle, then, is putting the bottle in a location that attracts flies but is also hidden enough that it can’t be tipped over. Especially if you’re operating with reduced vision, the possibilities for spilling this fluid are quite high.

That said, Aunt Fannie does sell refills in a 32-ounce form factor in case spills happen. Plus, buying in bulk is a lot less wasteful than a single-use strategy.

Our DIY Fruit Fly Trap

• Grossness level: High
• Ease of use: Medium or low depending on ability
• Flies caught: 11

As a control in our two dedicated fly enclosures for plug-in and chemical traps, we also tried a DIY solution with apple cider vinegar and dish soap. We put the solution in an open glass container and covered the top with hole-punched plastic wrap made for flies to enter.

The results weren’t stellar, and, unless you’re physically capable of mixing these solutions on your own, it may be a bit of a hassle to deal with for not much help. Of course, you can get access to a large amount of the essential ingredients for less than $10 if you’d like to give it a try.

Which fly trap is best?

When it comes to our specific tests across two enclosures over 24 hours, the best indoor fly trap came in two flavors. For the plug-in variety, we’re partial to the Zevo Flying Insect Trap. It doesn’t involve open containers, and its inserts are relatively easy to handle.

If you want maximum effectiveness and don’t mind the potential mess of a chemical trap, it’s hard to ignore the allure of Aunt Fannie’s FlyPunch. The product vanquished the highest number of flies, and it’d be quite easy for someone with a disability to set up by themselves.

The surprising conclusion is that indoor fly traps work, and they’re an accessible option for everyone to use whether they have a disability or not. If pest control is what you’re after, these products can help.