Why Every Plant Parent Needs This Popular Plug-In Fly Trap

If you’re wondering what fly traps have to do with houseplants, consider yourself lucky. Since collecting a borderline excessive amount of indoor greenery over the last few years, I’ve learned a lot about botany and how to create just-right growing conditions for different types of houseplants. I’ve also learned that I have an archnemesis: the fungus gnat.

The tiny winged terrors are harmless to humans, as they don’t bite or spread disease, but an infestation can be devastating to houseplants. Fungus gnats favor warm, moist soil—exactly the kind that fills planters inside houses. Females lay hundreds of eggs in the top few inches, and larvae hatch in a matter of days to feed on organic matter such as plant roots.

The problem can go from bad to worse very quickly—trust me. My indoor garden is the prolific pest’s ideal habitat, and I’ve tried just about every method to get rid of them. What works for me is a two-pronged approach that includes this popular plug-in fly trap. I tested the Safer Home indoor fly trap and it saved my houseplants.

Safer Home Indoor Fly Trap: At a Glance

Rating: 9.5/10

SPECS

• Type: Electric
• Reusability: Yes, but must purchase more glue cards
• Size: 2.25 inches long by 3.2 inches wide by 5.8 inches high

PROS

• Does not contain chemical insecticides and is safe for people, pets, and plants
• Operates 24/7 to attract and trap adult fungus gnats and other flying insects indoors
• Less messy (and less of an eyesore) than yellow sticky traps

CONS

• Limited to locations with an accessible outlet
• Only kills adult fungus gnats; larvae must be dealt with separately

Get the Safer Home fly trap at:

• Amazon for $16.89
• Ace Hardware for $18.99
• The Home Depot for $17.97
• Walmart for $17.92
• Safer Brand for $17.99

What is the Safer Home indoor fly trap?

Think of the Safer Home indoor fly trap like a multipurpose night-light. It not only illuminates a small area around the outlet where it is plugged in, but it also attracts and traps unwanted flying insects such as fungus gnats.

It doesn’t contain chemical insecticides or shocking mechanisms. Instead, the device employs a type of LED light that many bugs can’t resist as well as disposable glue cards. As the flies are lured in by the ultraviolet (UV) light, the super-sticky card traps them. It can collect an astonishing amount of adult flies before the card needs to be discarded and replaced with a new one.

The product is limited to just one style and color: modern and white. It comes with two glue cards, and more can be purchased separately.

Simple Setup

There are no tools required for installation, and the steps are simple:

1. Take the device out of the box.
2. Remove the protective film from one of the glue cards.
3. Insert the glue card into the designated slot on the device.
4. Plug in the fly trap.

Once the glue is exposed, it’s important to place the card on the device right away. Setting it face up or down on any other surface could leave a sticky residue or collect a film of dust that might alter the effectiveness of the trap.

If you have a significant fungus gnat problem (been there!), I would recommend purchasing a plug-in fly trap for each room with plants and at least one package of additional refill cards. That will help you get the infestation under control as quickly as possible.

Easy to Use

The hands-off nature of a plug-in fly trap is very convenient. Other fungus gnat remedies I’ve tried involve leaving out bowls of stinky vinegar and inserting flimsy yellow stakes into affected planters—both of which are messy and unattractive in living spaces.

The Safer Home product simply plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet and operates 24/7 to attract and eliminate flies. It also looks nice, just like a regular night light. The white color blends in with my outlet covers and matches my home’s trim. Plus, the glue card is oriented in a way that strategically hides the dead gnats from view. The only maintenance involved is replacing the glue card when it’s full.

A slight downside is that it’s limited to locations with an outlet and constantly pulls electricity. Though I haven’t done the math to determine exactly how much it adds to my monthly usage, I have yet to notice an unusual increase in my electric bill, even with four traps plugged in at all times (as I said, I have a lot of houseplants).

Effective Entrapment

This fly trap is the most successful method I’ve tested for eliminating adult fungus gnats indoors. I appreciate the science behind the technology. It taps into one of the pest’s natural weaknesses, luring them away from my houseplants with UV light. And the glue card helps make the gross task of discarding dead flies bearable.

That said, the Safer Home indoor fly trap will not completely eradicate a fungus gnat infestation. While it works wonders for reducing the population of adult insects, it does nothing to kill larvae buried in potting soil. For that, you need mosquito bits.

Another science-backed solution, mosquito bits contain Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti), a naturally occurring bacterium often used to control mosquitoes outdoors. When applied to your watering routine, it kills fungus gnat larvae without harming your houseplants.

The trick is to launch both attacks simultaneously—plug-in fly traps and mosquito bits—to minimize a plague of fungus gnats inside your home.

Is the Safer Home indoor fly trap worth the money?

For a DIY botanist like me, finding an effective way to defend against fungus gnats and save my houseplant collection is priceless. But the cost can add up depending on how many plug-in fly traps you need, how often you change the glue cards, and how long the devices last. I’ve had four in operation for about 6 months now and they’re still good as new.

There are similar products on the market for around the same price, but the Safer Brand grabbed my attention through social media. Several houseplant influencers popped up in my feeds vouching for the indoor fly trap, and that’s all it took for me to give it a try.

Is the Safer Home indoor fly trap right for you?

If you’re at your wit’s end trying to get rid of fungus gnats, don’t give up! It’s possible to control them with assistance from the Safer Home indoor fly trap. Compared to other gnat traps I’ve tried, the ease of use, sleek design, and effectiveness of this device outweigh the slightly higher price point.

But you won’t win the war against fungus gnats with the plug-in fly trap alone. To effectively eliminate an infestation, you must also treat the soil with larvicide such as Bti. When used in tandem, this method can save houseplants by killing the pests at different stages.

Where to Buy the Safer Home Indoor Fly Trap

Get the Safer Home fly trap at:

• Amazon for $16.89
• Ace Hardware for $18.99
• The Home Depot for $17.97
• Walmart for $17.92
• Safer Brand for $17.99

Meet the Tester

Jenny Stanley is a houseplant enthusiast and avid DIYer. She is also a full-time editor with nearly 18 years of experience covering all things home improvement. She has written countless articles for publications such as Do It Yourself and The Family Handyman, and she is currently executive editor of service and news for BobVila.com.