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All four units here are electric grid light traps. The PlusZap 30W suits a kitchen, warehouse or shop floor, and the PlusZap 16W is the same unit at a lower wattage. The Aspectek 30W hangs on a chain or stands on a surface, for home or commercial use. For a garage or covered patio, the Aspectek 20W is the one.
Light Traps Compared
Every column below is what the Amazon listing itself states. Where a listing does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Product | Wattage and target species, as listed | Size and weight, as listed | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlusZap 30W | 30W; fly, mosquito | 18 x 12 x 8 cm, 2.1 kg | Best Overall |
| PlusZap 16W | 16W; fly, mosquito | 18 x 12 x 8 cm, 1.6 kg | Best Low-Wattage Unit |
| Aspectek 30W | 30W; fly, mosquito, wasp | 28 x 10 x 39.5 cm | Best Budget |
| Aspectek 20W | 20W; fly, mosquito, moth, wasp | 28 x 10 x 39.5 cm, 1.82 kg | Best Dual-Use Unit |
Placement tip: site a grid unit away from food preparation areas.
Texas A&M advises that high-voltage outdoor bug zappers should not be used indoors, because they tend to scatter insect fragments (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension).
Best Overall — #1 Insect-O-Cutor PlusZap 30W Indoor Fly Killer
Product
Insect-O-Cutor PlusZap 30W Indoor Fly Killer — Aluminium Grid
Best Overall
- 30W, two UV bulbs pre-installed, aluminium grid, as listed
- Listed for indoor use: homes, commercial workplaces, kitchens, warehouses and retail
- Deep removable catch tray, as listed; hardwired cable
- Target species listed as Fly, Mosquito
- Listed at 18 x 12 x 8 cm and 2.1 kilograms
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Our overall pick for a kitchen, warehouse or shop floor. It is a 30W unit with two UV bulbs pre-installed, an aluminium grid and a deep removable catch tray, and the listing names homes, commercial workplaces, kitchens, warehouses and retail. It is hardwired, so plan where the cable will run.
Pros:
- 30W with two UV bulbs pre-installed
- Aluminium grid, as listed
- Deep removable catch tray
- Listed for homes, kitchens, warehouses and retail
Best Low-Wattage Unit — #2 Insect-O-Cutor PlusZap 16W
Product
Insect-O-Cutor PlusZap 16W Indoor Fly Killer — Aluminium Grid
Best Low-Wattage Unit
- 16W, two UV bulbs pre-installed, aluminium grid, as listed
- Listed for indoor use: homes, commercial workplaces, kitchens, warehouses and retail
- Deep removable catch tray, as listed; hardwired cable
- Target species listed as Fly, Mosquito
- Listed at 18 x 12 x 8 cm and 1.6 kilograms — the same dimensions the 30W lists
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The 16W version of the same unit, if you do not need 30W. It has the same aluminium grid, two pre-installed UV bulbs and deep removable catch tray, and the same listed settings from homes to retail. The listing gives the same 18 x 12 x 8 cm as the 30W, at 1.6 kilograms.
Pros:
- 16W, the lowest wattage on this page
- Two UV bulbs pre-installed
- Deep removable catch tray
- 1.6 kg as listed
Best Budget — #3 Aspectek Professional Electronic Insect Killer
Electrical
Aspectek Professional Electronic Insect Killer — 30W UV (UK Plug)
Best Budget
- 30W, two UV bulbs, metal casing, as listed
- Mesh screen over the grid, as listed
- Listed for home and commercial use, indoors; hangs by chain or stands
- Target species listed as Fly, Mosquito, Wasp
- Listed at 28 x 10 x 39.5 cm; the listing itself notes that not every mosquito reaches the grid
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Suits a home or business that wants the choice of hanging the unit on its chain or standing it on a surface. It is a 30W unit in a metal casing, with two UV bulbs and a mesh screen over the grid, listed for home and commercial use indoors. Its own listing notes that not every mosquito reaches the grid.
Pros:
- 30W with two UV bulbs
- Metal casing with a mesh screen over the grid
- Hangs by chain or stands
- Listed for home and commercial use
Best Dual-Use Unit — #4 Aspectek 20W Heavy Duty Bug Zapper
Product
Aspectek 20W Heavy Duty Bug Zapper — Indoor and Covered Outdoor
Best Dual-Use Unit
- 20W, plastic casing, two spare UV bulbs included, as listed
- Open dual-sided design, as listed
- Listed for garages, basements, patios, BBQ areas and covered outdoor spaces — no commercial setting named
- Target species listed as Fly, Mosquito, Moth, Wasp
- Listed at 28 x 10 x 39.5 cm and 1.82 kilograms
As an Amazon Associate, PestPro Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Our pick for a garage, a basement or a covered patio. It is a 20W plastic-cased unit with an open dual-sided design, and two spare UV bulbs come with it. The listing names fly, mosquito, moth and wasp, and names no commercial setting.
Pros:
- Two spare UV bulbs included
- Open dual-sided design
- Listed for covered outdoor spaces, garages and basements
- Names fly, mosquito, moth and wasp
Start with your situation
- You have flies and do not know where from. The extension guidance puts the source first — is a light trap the right job.
- You are siting one in a food area. Read what this page can and cannot say before you buy — what this page can and cannot say.
- You want a unit whose listing names commercial premises. Two do — the PlusZap 30W and the PlusZap 16W.
- You want the widest listed target range. The Aspectek 20W lists fly, mosquito, moth and wasp — and no commercial setting.
- You want a mesh screen over the grid. The Aspectek 30W is the one listing here that states one.
Warning
Every unit on this page is a mains electrical appliance with a high-voltage grid. The Aspectek 30W listing states a mesh screen over its grid; the other three listings do not state one.
Is a Light Trap the Right Job?
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension describes what these units do: “Light traps take advantage of a fly’s attraction to short wavelength light (ultraviolet, or UV) to draw them to a glue board or low voltage electric grid.” (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension). And it puts the trap second to the source: “The key any indoor fly problem is to find and eliminate the source, that is, anywhere excess moisture and organic debris may have accumulated.” A trap catches flies that are already inside. It does not stop them breeding or arriving.
What This Page Can and Cannot Say
This page holds no fetched UK source on where an electric grid unit may or may not be installed, on food hygiene inspection, or on any certification a commercial unit must carry. An earlier version of this page said grid units must not be used in food preparation areas and that inspectors check for it; no source was fetched for either statement, and both are gone.
What the fetched guidance does say is about fragments. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says of high-voltage outdoor zappers that they “should not be used indoors because they tend to scatter insect fragments and can contaminate the indoors.” (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension). The units here are sold as indoor units, and this page holds no source stating whether they scatter fragments; the reader siting one near open food should weigh that gap rather than this page’s silence.
Where a Light Trap Does Not Help
Against the source. The Texas A&M line above: the key is the source. A drain, a bin store or a damp void keeps producing flies however many the grid takes.
Beside an open door. Purdue Extension states that “Keeping flies from entering homes involves using tight-fitting window screens and closing windows and doors.” (Purdue Extension). A trap competing with daylight through an open door is a trap losing.
With tired tubes. Texas A&M reports that “Most light trap manufacturers recommend that the bulbs be replaced annually because UV output of fluorescent tubes degrades over time.” No listing here states an interval; one includes two spare bulbs.
What Decides the Choice
1. What setting the listing names
Both PlusZap listings name commercial workplaces, kitchens, warehouses and retail. The Aspectek 30W names home and commercial use. The Aspectek 20W names garages, basements, patios and covered outdoor spaces, and no commercial setting at all. For a business, that is the first sort.
2. Mounting height, from the guidance
Texas A&M states that “Light traps should be installed 4 to 6 feet above the floor, which is the typical flying height for house flies.” No listing here gives a height, so that figure is the only one on the page.
3. Wattage and target species, as listed
16W, 20W and 30W, with target species from two on the PlusZaps to four on the Aspectek 20W. No listing states a coverage area, and this page does not invent one.
If a Light Trap Is Not the Answer
Hold the insect intact. Glue-board units are compared on our commercial fly killers page.
Find where they are coming from. Our commercial insect monitors page covers monitoring rather than killing.
Screen the openings. Purdue’s line above is screens and closed doors; a trap is what you add after that.
Siting and Servicing
- Deal with the source first. That is Texas A&M’s key, and no unit here does it.
- Mount at 4 to 6 feet. Texas A&M’s figure, in the absence of one from any listing.
- Keep it away from open doors and windows. Purdue puts screens and closed doors ahead of any trap.
- Empty the tray. Three listings state a removable tray or washable tray.
- Replace the tubes on a schedule. Texas A&M reports annual replacement as the manufacturers’ usual advice; no listing here gives its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do UV tubes need replacing?
No listing on this page states a replacement interval. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, quoted above, reports annual replacement as the usual manufacturer advice, because the UV output of a fluorescent tube falls over time. The Aspectek 20W listing includes two spare bulbs; the others do not say.
Where should I position an insect light trap?
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, quoted above, puts a light trap 4 to 6 feet above the floor, the typical flying height for house flies. No listing here gives a mounting height. Purdue Extension, also quoted above, puts screens and closed doors ahead of any trap: a trap by an open door is competing with the door.
Can I use an electric grid ILT in a food preparation area?
This page holds no fetched UK source stating where a grid unit may or may not be used, so it does not say. What it can say: all four units here kill by electrocution on a grid, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, quoted above, cautions that high-voltage outdoor zappers scatter insect fragments indoors. Glue-board units, which hold the insect intact, are compared on our Commercial Fly Killers page.