DynaTrap DT1050SR Insect Trap – Protects up to 1/2 Acre

The 'bug sucker' DynaTrap works! I like to garden and usually get eaten up by mosquitos. I'm often the only one in a group to get eaten alive. However, since the trap has been in use, I haven't been bitten once. Some things to know: The trap remains on nonstop. There's a fan that makes noise, but it's not any more loud than a small desk fan. It discharges carbon dioxide, attracting insects by mimicking human breath. The fan sucks them into the slots, then down to the basket below, where they eventually die. For that reason, it's a challenge to empty the basket, because weak but living mosquitos will invariably escape. I caught over a cup of insects in one week. The cord is nice and long, and it has to be plugged in to operate. The unit is easy to click on and off by twisting the entire middle portion. It's weather-resistant and the basket is large. This particular unit covers a 1/2 acre. There isn't any zapping, light sparks, or loud noises. Position it head-high, rather than on a low table. The one thing that I wish that I'd known is that ALL types of mites and parasitic bugs will think that they're going to a rock show. This is a beacon for the gross creepy crawlies, and it is a possibility that they will congregate and buzz the trap. Not all of them make it inside the basket, making the area outside a potential hazard! I got close to it, squinting to see what I had caught, when I saw what looked like stains on the outside of the metal basket sections. I 'dusted' it off with my hands, and it turns out that it was mites that promptly tried to relocate on me! I had never had contact with something like that before. For this reason, I would highly recommend that you situate your trap away from all human and animal traffic to totally avoid revved up insects. Prepare to generally leave it undisturbed. Highly recommended!

Bottom line: I believe this company is a scam. Their product doesn’t work to alleviate mosquitos (it does kill lots of moths however), it is impossible to replace the bulb due to their poor design, and the motor goes out right after the warranty). Now for more detail: I live up in the mountains which does have season mosquito problems. Our back decks look out at wonderful views and we enjoy spending as much time outside as possible. However although candles worked a bit, we still needed something more powerful to keep the mosquitos in check. Of course Dynatrap advertises very aggressively. I was always a bit concerned since some of their claims, such as having a special “coating” that keeps mosquitos away are unfounded. And boarder on the outrageous. However, I did buy the unit. We did get a great deal of “debris” in the catch basin, but it was 99% moth, which is not a threat, and not the reason to purchasing this unit. In the year that I had this, I never once saw one body of a mosquito. Worse yet, when I went to replace the bulb, I was thrust into a nightmare of their horrific design. There are four screws on the bottom after you remove the debris cage, that you need to unscrew in order to get to the bulb. The instructions supplied with the unit say that they supply a special Phillips screwdriver. I still had the original box, and remember when I removed the unit from it, there was no screwdriver. I have a very large collect of various size Phillips screwdriver heads, and none worked. I tired soaking the screws with both an “unlock” spray and WD-40. Still, the screws would not budge. Finally I brought the unit to my local hardware store, and after over an hour utilizing specialized screwdrivers, they were able to finally get all screws out. They told me that this unit was badly designed and they don’t know how anyone could get this out on their own. I was glad to get it removed and gave them a nice tip, and bought, what I thought would be a special screwdriver. Then at home I had to deal with a bracket and screw that hold the bulb into the socket. It is virtually impossible to access the screw or the bracket with your fingers, and it’s a miracle I was able to get both out, and more important, get them out of the unit without losing them. Once the new bulb was replaced it was another hour to align the bracket and screw even before screwing it in. I did then get the bottom back on, and was able to re-screw it in. I then plugged it in. The light went on, but now, the motor-fan no longer works. I checked the wire connections very carefully and they were all unmolested and connected. Then wanting for the last time to check the unit, I found that again, it was impossible to unscrew the four screws to open it for inspection. Even with my new “special“ Philip screwdriver. I didn’t feel at this point like going back to my hardware store, and spending any more money. So, after a year of this unit never working to actually do its job and remove mosquitos, and then realizing that the design makes it impossible to replace the bulb, which they say should be replaced at least every three to four months, I’ve given up. I’ll just have to throw the hundreds of dollars away along with the unit. By the way, Dynatrap customer services is dysfunctional to non-existent. I utilized their e-mail form, and never got a response. I finally did actually speak with a live human being, and explained the problem. She put me on hold for twenty minutes, and then came back to say they actually don’t supply the screwdrivers anymore, nor did basically in the beginning, and they don’t have them in stock. I realized my warranty was expired, and asked her about the motor, and she said: “yes, well they do tend to fall apart after a year or so… nothing we can do… I suggest just buy another one”. I have a better idea for everyone reading, stay as far away from this “snake oil” fraud Dynatrap as you can. They don’t work, and they will make your life a living hell. I believe the company is a bit of a scam. And in these days of pandemic obstacles and stress, a product like this and a company like this is the last thing you need.

Buy the wired version because it needs to run 24x7 to be Amazingly 99.99% effective. It completely irradiated mosquitoes and moths in the first 48 hours. Had it now for 4 weeks with Zero mosquito bites where it was a mosquito war zone before. 100% Great product wired 24x7. Credit where credit is due.

A bit skeptical at first, but after reading reviews, and pestered badly by blood sucking mosquitos, I decided what the "F". So I made the purchase. I was dismayed that the bulb stopped functioning after just a few hours on the first day of use, and thought about attempting to send it back. I was dismayed to find that the bulb is not covered in the warranty. But found that the bulb continued to work (some what intermittently) after the first day ( you need to turn the unit off, then back to on). So I decided to continue with the unit, hoping for the best. Over time the bulb still operated intermittently, but the unit was catching insects. I like to sit outside and enjoy a cigar and a whiskey in the evening, but until purchasing this unit I was constantly on guard swatting those little bitches. But after a week of use now, I'm pretty comfortable outside, no mosquitos tonight at all, which is a first. I found that turning the unit off, then on again when the bulb was out, would somehow connect with the light, and the light usually runs for several hours now before extinguishing. The unit is kind of expensive, but a replacement bulb is not that much. I will continue with this unit for sometime to see, how it performs, but as of now, I am satisfied. I have no clue as to its range, I'm on a little over an acre in the mountains of Montana, and we usually do not have much trouble with mosquitos, but this year they have been horrendous. If things change, you will hear more from me, but as they stand, I think it is worth the gamble. Good Luck. Afterword: I have had the unit a very long time now, still using the same bulb after many months of use. It works fairly well close to the house, but it has not affected areas any further than my porch, but that's good enough for me. It also catches wasps, so you need to be careful upon cleaning.

The DynaTrap DT1050SR is indeed quiet. And it does seem to attract and kill lots of bugs (mainly moths) However I am not sure it does a better job than other bug "zappers" on the market. And you don't get that satisfying sizzle when the other trap and fry a big 'ol bug. :) More importantly, the bulb only lasted 3 months. Pretty expensive investment if you buy more bulbs or not. I have a Flowtron (similar to https://www.amazon.com/Flowtron-Electric-Attractant-Mosquito-Certified/dp/B0096UA8MK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2YP18JAK0QT9M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.B6PzGe7QOy7Xv0XKGYvQoIyXfI430yJJOjiUg0YvEx6TNGWwdGtOq33izc007sDz4VWBij7zgXnESfttF8GhUFjy-owIn0r6UZlHfB1MMoQf1d4-iXUbBMrP_yU-v1GuEX6FYkATtZMZ04oIPS5DDjz7txrTmIBtjLTO6KyrsHGe_uh-801mz3vZ2yPvRDGsgKqtOWrsg-ZtDRCvI_DEsSmve-h6dy3lpElrcB7OdCFY9_lafWjkNAMAsp6hRq3mfv5gs5BX8N3MoEvhb4SpVGUIsjM1sObGQNcf5ejkadA.4JdS3d81L3nXjYpePgwMtJSgY9Sb3_qz1vn8fK4AGXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=flowtron&qid=1723927024&sprefix=flowtron%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-5) that I paid about half the cost of this one, almost 4 years ago, and it is still going strong (and give that satisfying sizzle and puff of smoke on the big bugs!). Part of what helps this I think, is that I have the Flowtron on a light sensor, so it turns off during the day and doesn't wear out the bulb as quickly. This DynaTrap does not let you do that. It must remain on to kill the bugs slowly. If you turn it off the bugs can escape and you have to catch them again. If they had a way to keep the fan going when the bulb was off this just might be a bug killer I could recommend. But at this time I think there are better deals out there. If you like it quiet and don't mind changing bulbs every 4 months (recommended) or more often, then it is probably a good one.

I now have two of these units, one on each end of a 24' long x 15' wide covered deck. It actually may be overkill. Whatever. I put the first one up about a year ago, plugged into a timer that turns it on from 7 pm to 7 am, when the bugs are most active in our area. Our home backs up to a very wooded area with water standing and flowing through it as its a drainage area. So, yeah, a fair amount of bugs and mosquitos were present. Usually. Not any more. Throughout a fairly hot, humid Georgia summer we've experienced very few bugs or mosquitos attacking us. I've emptied the bottom container monthly -- it's been about 1/2 full each time. Going into Fall now, the bug-catching is way down, as expected. Over time it appears that the catchers have reduced the overall population. Many have noted that the lights don't seem to last long. My luck (?) has been better. The first unit has been running 12-hours a day for a year with no problem. The second a month or so, again, no problem. FWIW, I found replacement light bulbs for this unit at HD for far less than they are priced on Amazon or the DynaTrap site. Worthwhile investment to be able to use our deck virtually year-around, day or night!

I had very high hopes for this trap. Sure- I saw the bad reviews, but there seemed to be so many good reviews that surely the bad ones were just flukes, right? WRONG. My first trap arrived about a week ago. I hung it from a shepherd's hook (cheaper than ordering the optional stand from Dynatrap) and was ready for a mosquito massacre. Fan was quiet; couldn't hear it through the nearby windows. We had some rain after that, but supposedly the unit is weatherproof so I didn't worry about it. Went to check on the progress a couple of days later and noticed that while the light was still on, the fan had stopped. I went to Dynatrap's website to troubleshoot, did all the things, got it to start spinning for a minute...only for it to stop. Decided I must have received a defective unit. No biggie since I was still within Amazon's 30-day return window. I initiated an exchange, dropped the defective unit at Kohl's, and waited for my replacement. The replacement arrived yesterday and 3 things stood out that made me optimistic again: 1) The first trap arrived in a basic brown box, but the new one was sealed in the original Dynatrap box. 2) The new one actually came with a cleaning brush, which I didn't realize was missing from the first one until I was packing it up to send back and happened to see on the instructions that one should have been included. 3) The cord was significantly longer on the new one, so perhaps this was the latest and greatest model? I took it out and started setting it up, but as I turned it on noticed the fan blade must have become unseated during transport because it was flopping around inside. I got my screwdriver, opened up the fan housing, and put the blade back in place. Let's try this again. Turned it on and the fan was strong and powerful compared to the last one. Yay! We were expecting rain overnight, so I decided not to chance things and brought the unit in under our covered patio, shutting it off so the inner elements would be protected. I was impressed that there were quite a few bugs caught in the few hours I ran I last night. I put it back on the hook this morning and it seemed to be fine. That was the last time I would see the fan spinning. I checked on it just this evening and once again I have a dead fan. Light bulb works, but fan will not spin no matter what I try. I'll be returning this one and giving up on the Dynatrap. If you have read my review, be sure to sort the other reviews by most recent. It seems that there are many who have purchased this trap recently that have the same issue I did. This may have been a great product 5 years ago, but it's clear something has changed in the design. It's really disappointing because our yard backs up to a large field with a creek, so the mosquitoes are so thick that professional mosquito fog does nothing. I'm feeling helpless over here! *writing this as I sit on my patio swatting away mosquitoes* EDITED ON 7/20/2022: I tested the replacement trap one more time before I was about to return it, and it miraculously started working again. I don't know if it just needed a good nap or what, but it was working as it did fresh out of the box. I decided to give it a try again and put it outside where I allowed it to run day and night as recommended. I've bumped my rating up from one star to two because when it works it actually will catch bugs. Unfortunately, the majority of the bugs it trapped were June bugs and moths while I was still getting chewed up by mosquitoes on my patio. While it was nice not having to deal with June bugs and moths, I was having a hard time justifying spending $75 on a trap to catch them when what I REALLY wanted was to eradicate mosquitoes. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I found a honey bee in the basket, and then the final kick in the camel's side was finding several dragonflies as well (ya know- a bug that ACTUALLY feeds on things like mosquitoes). After three weeks of trying this thing out, I finally returned it for a full refund. This was simply not worth the money for me.

We live in the northwoods of Wisco. 2 acres with alot of pines and above normal humidity levels for the past several years. We hung this on a shepherd's hook pole about 6 feet off the ground and 20 ft away from where we normally sit. Immediately I noticed the fan motor worked intermittently when the unit swung in a light breeze. As if there was a loose wire (or maybe a mercury switch that ensured level operation?) the fan just kept cutting on and off when the breeze hit it. BUT.. We have those pesky fungus gnats here in Wisco along with some effing army tank mosquitos that you can whack pretty hard and they STILL come at you. Now this thing WAS catching bugs pretty well. I went out to check it the other day and the motor was barely running at all even tho the basket was near 1/3 full of some of the worst offenders. I left it up for one more day. The next day the fan motor was not running at all. It stuttered when I was taking it down so I'm thinking it's just a loose wire. Returning anyway after no response from seller or manufacturer and after reading some of these reviews. The Dragonflies are out there picking up the slack and we are going to try something else. Back to Octenol and a new zapper. UPDATE 06-07-21 Saw them on sale $79 at a local Fleet/Farm. Decided to give it a second chance. Luckily I was able to return the first one to Amazon without postage or restocking fees. Good luck returning one now. They must have wised up knowing these things are complete junk. Bought this one on Friday. Seemed to work fine all weekend. I even looked at it through the nights to make sure it was lit up and fan was spinning. Today is Monday and I went to clean it out and the ballast was making noise and the bulb wasn't lit. It caught plenty of critters but few mosquitos. Mostly moths and small beetles. Cleaning it out right now and returning to FF as soon as I finish this update. I am done with DynaTrap. Seems to be a good design but it is becoming known fact to many that nearly ALL Chinese manufacturers vary from design spec after a few months of production to cut costs and increase profits. Search "Quality Fade." Defined by Paul Midler as “the deliberate and secretive habit of widening profit margins through a reduction in the quality of materials.” It's becoming far too common and way too OBVIOUS. Sadly importers have NO legal recourse against these shady manufacturers.