Nothing and I do mean nothing, ruins a summer backyard BBQ or movie night worse than buzzing nats and mosquitos!
My parents were diehard fans of that aerosol spray (you know the one I’m talking about) that you used on all of your skin that was exposed to keep mosquitos and other insects away. We grew up in rural Pennsylvania, on a farm, so there was no shortage of bugs that were waiting to suck your blood.
We moved three years ago to a half-acre property in Henrico, Virginia. I absolutely love the large backyard that is surrounded by trees. We also have a small deck with a wrought iron bench and cushions and a plant stand where Aubree and I hang out and listen to the birds and watch the squirrels run across the yard.
I planted a little garden area to the right of the deck this year that has attracted all sorts of bumblebees and other flying insects. Definitely not something that I wanted to have to deal with, especially now that my granddaughters are old enough to be outside enjoying some sunshine and laughs!
So I was really happy to have the opportunity to review the Ambush Mosquito Trap in our yard. It arrived quickly, and naturally, my son, couldn’t wait to tear into the box and open it up.
It’s really straightforward and easy to use right out the box. It’s so quiet that you don’t even know that it is on. I love the weatherproof design and it isn’t large and bulky or an eyesore. I’ve never been a fan of bug zappers that literally fry the bugs into crunchy bits, so that was an added bonus for me that the Ambush doesn’t utilize electricity to get rid of the mosquitos. Instead, it has 6 other features that attract the bugs:
- Octenol (from the Ambush Lure)
- Ultraviolet Light
- Carbon Dioxide
- The dark casing of the unit
- A powerful fan
- A Warm Plate
How wide an area does it cover?
As I stated, we live on a half-acre in the suburbs, so the Ambush Mosquito Trap is more than adequate for our space since it claims to protect up to one acre of yard space from mosquitos and biting insects.
The Ambush Lure
I can see you asking now, “what is that?” It’s the little orange square that is placed at the top of the unit that contains Octenol. Octenol is a chemical that attracts biting insects such as mosquitoes and is found in human breath and sweat. If we could just not breathe or sweat when we were outdoors we’d be golden!
One orange square will last 30 days to attract the mosquitos and other biting insects. They fly in through the openings where the ultraviolet light shines through and are sucked down by the internal fan into the basket that catches them below where they are trapped.
You can purchase season packs of 6 separately for just $59. Not a bad price to pay for a mosquito-free zone each year!
How does it operate?
The Ambush Mosquito Trap uses a standard 120 volt AC power adapter with a Type A plug and comes with a 19-foot cord. It isn’t a huge deal, but it would be great if they develop a new model that is rechargeable – it would just make it more convenient. As it is, however, I have an outlet in our man cave that works and the cord reaches all the way out to the grass from the sliding doors, so it spares us unnecessary bug bites, and totally worth it.
Warning – Bug Picture!
I know some people are squeamish about photos of bugs so giving you a heads-up first. I ran the mosquito trap in the backyard for 45 minutes – and this is what I captured.
After seeing what just 45 minutes could do, I’ve been running it continuously in our backyard. I don’t let it sit out overnight simply because we’ve had some torrential rains here the past few weeks – so I set it outside about an hour before we go out and bring it in when we are done if rain is in the forecast. Knock on wood – not one of us has been bitten by a mosquito (or any other flying, biting, insects for that matter) since I’ve been using it. It’s usually plugged up and running 4 out of 7 days a week.
Honestly, I’m not even sure that I would need to use it every time we go outside anymore. I have noticed fewer flying insects in the yard. Now if I could just convince the dragonflies to find somewhere else to live!
You can find The Ambush Mosquito Trap here. They also offer free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. At $199.99, it’s a bit of an investment, but when you have a family you love and a backyard you want to enjoy with them – it’s well worth it.
