Black & Decker Outdoor Hanging Bug Zapper (Small)

Why I tried this bug trap

My screened porch becomes a magnet for moths and gnats as soon as the sun goes down. I wanted something I could hang up and forget about—no chemical lures, no crackling zap, no bug shrapnel near the table. This Black & Decker UV glue-trap style unit fit that bill on paper: corded power, programmable modes, and a promise of discreet operation in covered outdoor and semi-indoor spaces. I tested it on a 12x20 screened porch and in a covered breezeway, switching between hanging and tabletop setups over several weeks.

Design, build, and setup

The trap is a 21-inch, fairly substantial cylinder with a protective exterior grid, an internal ultraviolet LED array, and a replaceable glue trapping surface (a paper tube inside the housing). At 12.1 pounds, it’s heavier than the average patio gadget. That weight actually helps it feel stable on a table, and it keeps sway to a minimum when hung. The included hanging chain is robust enough for the job, but because of the weight, you’ll want a solid anchor point—think a ceiling joist, not a flimsy hook.

Build quality is good overall. The shell feels rigid, the seams line up, and the finish wipes clean easily. The power cord is a reasonable length for reaching a nearby outlet, though you’ll likely need an outdoor-rated extension cord for flexible placement. The brush in the box is handy for clearing dust and pollen from the outer grid; it also helps knock loose any debris that settles on the intake vents.

Setup is basically plug-and-play. The glue tube installs with a simple twist-lock. Once powered, you can cycle through its operating modes, set a schedule, and walk away. The controls are straightforward, and the indicator LEDs are subtle enough not to spoil low-light ambiance.

Placement matters more than marketing

The unit’s rated coverage is “up to 1/2 acre,” but that’s a best-case claim and assumes optimal placement, minimal competing light, and favorable airflow. In real-world use, what matters most is proximity and light discipline:

• Keep it in covered spaces only; it’s not meant for open exposure to rain.
• Place it away from where people sit or eat. You want to draw insects away from you, not through you.
• Reduce competing light sources nearby (string lights, bright lamps) so the UV is the primary attractant.
• Hang it in the line of entry—near the door from the yard into your patio, for example—so insects encounter the trap first.

With thoughtful placement, the trap does steady work. On my porch, the most effective spot was 6–8 feet from the main doorway, about head height, and at least 10 feet from the table.

Performance: steady, not spectacular

Ultraviolet LED glue traps operate differently than classic electrified “zappers.” There’s no sizzle, no dramatic instant-results theater. Instead, you get a slow, consistent capture of the insects that are actually attracted to UV: moths, gnats, some types of flies, and the occasional mosquito. Over a typical summer evening on my porch, the glue tube showed a visible increase by bedtime and a meaningful accumulation after a few nights.

A few observations from use:
- In a 240-square-foot screened porch, it noticeably reduced fluttering moths around our overhead light once I dimmed that light and let the trap run.
- In a breezeway with cross-ventilation and nearby yard lights, capture was modest unless I dialed back the other lighting.
- In a bright kitchen with under-cabinet LEDs and task lighting, it was still useful for fruit flies and gnats, but less so for larger insects. It’s more of a “polisher” than a primary solution indoors.

If you’re expecting yard-wide mosquito control, you’ll likely be disappointed; that’s not the strength of UV glue traps. But for keeping the immediate seating area calmer and cutting down on fluttering moths and gnats in covered spaces, it performs as intended.

Light and noise

The light output is dim and easy on the eyes—an appealing bluish glow that doesn’t wreck the ambiance. I was able to run it during dinner without it becoming a distraction.

As for noise, there’s no zap and no fan roar. My unit did produce a faint high-pitched electronic tone that I could hear within a few feet in a very quiet space, likely a byproduct of the LED driver circuitry. On the porch, with normal evening sounds, I didn’t notice it. In a silent kitchen at night, I preferred to move it a bit farther from ear level. If you’re extremely sensitive to high-frequency sounds, it’s worth testing the unit in your intended spot before committing to a permanent location.

Programmable operation

Programmable settings make a real difference here. I set mine to run automatically during evening hours and stay off during the day. The “schedule it and forget it” approach keeps the trap working when insects are most active without you babysitting it. It also avoids the common mistake of running all day, which just reduces contrast between the UV and ambient light and wears the consumable faster.

While the exact modes aren’t elaborate, the basics—on, off, and timed or night-oriented operation—cover the use cases I care about.

Maintenance and the realities of glue traps

Maintenance is where glue traps shine and stumble, depending on your expectations.

Pros:
- Clean capture: no bug fragments, no smoky odor, no arcs near food.
- The outer grid stays relatively clean; an occasional brush-down is enough.

Trade-offs:
- Glue surfaces are consumables. How quickly you need to replace them depends on your insect load and how often you run the trap. On my porch in midsummer, a tube lasted a few weeks before it looked too crowded to be effective.
- You’ll want gloves when swapping tubes. It’s not messy, but it’s sticky by design.

A practical routine:
- Check the tube weekly at first to gauge your environment’s load.
- Give the housing a quick dust with the included brush every couple of weeks.
- Keep the UV window surfaces clear; dust reduces attraction.

Safety and where it fits best

Because there’s no electrified grid, this trap is well-suited for semi-indoor and food-adjacent spaces like enclosed patios, breezeways, and covered outdoor kitchens. It’s non-toxic in the sense that the attractant is light, not chemicals. Still, keep it away from pets and curious kids; the glue is extremely sticky.

It’s not weatherproof. Covered placements only. The weight is both a safety and stability factor—secure hanging is critical, and on a tabletop it’s much less prone to tipping than lighter, cheaper traps.

Value and expectations

This trap’s value hinges on expectations. If you want:

• Quiet, discreet operation
• Cleaner capture without bug fallout
• A solution for covered spaces where a zapping grid would be obnoxious

…it makes a lot of sense. If your goal is to blanket an open yard or dramatically knock down mosquitoes in a breezy, uncovered patio, you’ll likely want to pair this with other strategies (targeted fans, eliminating standing water, or a different trap technology).

I’d also factor in the ongoing cost and availability of replacement glue tubes. They’re the core consumable for any glue-trap system, and swapping them on schedule is essential to keeping performance consistent.

Recommendation

I recommend this bug trap for covered patios, screened porches, breezeways, and semi-indoor areas where quiet, non-toxic, and tidy capture matters more than instant, theatrical results. It’s easy to set up, stable on a table or chain, and the programmable operation keeps it working when it’s most effective. In my testing, it steadily trimmed down moths and gnats and made evening meals on the porch more comfortable without the snap and sizzle of a grid.

I would not recommend it if you expect broad outdoor coverage, primarily need mosquito control in open air, or are extremely sensitive to faint electronic tones in very quiet rooms. And like all glue-based systems, you must be willing to replace the trapping tube regularly.

Used within its intended niche—covered spaces, modest expectations, consistent maintenance—it’s a solid, low-fuss tool for reclaiming your porch from the flutter and buzz.