Every one we’ve used has been an effective, yet ugly, weapon in our annual fight against houseflies. It is also very good at picking up spiders which have sought refuge in a corner, something the sliding-door type catchers can't do. The Pic swatter’s one drawback is that it doesn’t have off-the-charts durability—we found that each one lasts about one summer of hard use—but the fact is, hardly any swatters are made well, and this is a case where going cheap is simplest.

The powerful CD suction fan then draws any insects within proximity of the lamp into the bottom collection box, which is removable for easy cleaning.An inventive reader solved the issue by drilling two small holes in the lid right next to the garbage guard and threaded a wire through to hold the Garbage Guard snug to the inside of the lid. He also noted that The Executioner’s battery compartment pops open from time to time, which we’ve also experienced. Enoz also makes the Sergeant Swat, an overbuilt swatter that was so stiff and bulky, it dented a wood coffee table with our first swat. We also evaluated two other leather flyswatters, the Happy Tack Amish Made Leather Fly Swatter and the PrimeHomeProducts Leather Fly Swatter. You might break a Pic swatter if you try to swat a fly on a sharp corner of a countertop, but the Hope can slap against a sharp corner all day long and come out fine.

If the item comes direct from a manufacturer, it may be delivered in non-retail packaging, such as a plain or unprinted box or plastic bag.

Even with something as mundane and unpleasant as a flyswatter, knowing that we won’t have to think about purchasing another one for years and years eases the mind. If the nozzle is full before both nostrils have been completely sucked in, remove nasal secretions with a tissue by blowing into the nozzle, or use a new nozzle. For most people, locking the bellows is easy enough to do by simply pressing the bellows against one’s hip or a hard surface.

We use bubble wrap or other suitable packaging materials and then put your items in relevant-sized boxes. When I got to the top of the stairs I reached around to my heel to see the legs of a Thousand-legger twitching away on the bottom of my foot. Lastly, we have to admit we feel a little classier crushing flies with a swatch of leather than with a piece of plastic. The weakness of the Garbage Guard is in the adhesive, which caused it to fall off the lid and into the trash barrel of one Wirecutter staffer who tested it. The odd enterprising wasp still gets past and back into the entrance funnel, but we use a champagne cork to close it off, which works perfectly.But with its elegant look, easy cleaning, and indestructible nature, this is the luxury car of swatters. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home.

There’s one bug-killing tool you won’t find here: bug zappers, which work about as well as any other indiscriminate mass slaughter. The study looked at 31 (30 possible, one probable) dichlorvos-related health incidents reported in seven US states and Canada between 2000 and 2013. With a thick wire handle and a leather head, this swatter doesn’t have the quick-whip fly-smooshing action of the Pic, but you probably won’t ever have to replace it. This spider and insect vacuum gives you the ability (and the bravery) to remove the creatures safely, just point the trap, press the button, and the battery-operated vacuum will gently capture the spider or insect. This gizmo adheres to the underside of a trash barrel and emits an insecticide that kills any flies or other nasties that try to live in your garbage.If you really feel a hatred towards flies, just focus on the knowledge that the fly you set free will likely become a meal for another critter in the wild. The CDC previously assessed the frequency of acute illness associated with pest strips containing dichlorvos, Garbage Guard’s active ingredient, and published its findings in 2014. The BugZooka’s telescoping tube gives it an effective range of 2 feet, which should be enough to reach high corners where spiders like to hide out. Even though not all of us mind an odd spider or bug scurrying across our floors and climbing our walls, none of us want to be removing the insect with our hands. If it’s toward the end of a cleaning session and it’s not time for a bag change will they eventually find their way out of the 8′ tube and come back to get me?