First, the unboxing. You can see my initial reactions to the products and the packaging here:
Then, the set-up. A few days before the party, we set up 2 of our DynaTraps. First, the small indoor flypaper one. It is attractive, doesn't take up too much space, and is easy to setup. (Just peel the backing off the sticky paper and insert it behind the light. Then plug it in) We had it on our porch for a few days and it caught a lot of little bugs (gnats, fruit flies, and mosquitoes) but not houseflies. I noticed some fruit flies in the kitchen, so I moved it in there for a few days. I like how easy it is to move to the room you need it. Although if you had a real problem with indoor bugs it would probably be worth it to invest in one for each "problem room".
The second part of the setup was figuring out where to install the outdoor one. We chose the 1/4 acre one for our backyard, since we don't really have a big enough front and side yard, and our whole lot is less than a 1/4 acre anyway. I wanted to put it by our bushes at the back of the yard, which is where we see the most bugs (gnats, mosquitoes, and Japanese beetles, which are decimating our raspberry bushes). But it has to be plugged in, and we dont have electrical back there. So, I had to hang it near our patio, which is not ideal placement, due to the proximity of where we gather, and due to the other lights in that area. Also, the extension cord was grounded, and the socket was not, so we had to use an adapter that was not rated for outdoor use, which means we'll have to pick up another part, or a longer and ungrounded extension cord. Definitely things to keep in mind if someone is looking at investing in one of these devices (I looked up the prices, and they are not cheap!)
After a few days of running it 24/7, I will say that we noticed it is catching a LOT of bugs. Unfortunately, they are mostly moths, which is not what bothers us. But there are also a few mosquitoes in there, which is a good thing. I wish it was catching beetles, flies, and hornets. I have not noticed any decrease in their numbers in our yard since setting up the DynaTrap.
The other product we used was the bug zapper wand. It is large and impressive, I like the safety features, and it is fun to use! I killed one crawling bug on our porch, instantly, and the little blue spark when it zapped it was cool. But I hit a fly with it 3 times (making contact each time, as seen by the blue ZAP!) and it still never died! So I don't think it is any more effective than a regular fly swatter, really. Only heavier, so it is harder to swat with. I would not purchase another one.
On the night of my event, we first looked at the packaging for the large, 1/2 acre DynaTrap. Then everyone took the survey. Then we watched the videos and I read the product description. After that, it was about dinnertime, so we went outside, ate, had a fire, and talked about the outdoor trap- the pros and cons I mentioned above. I picked numbers for the people to take home the other products, and we took a group picture.
