Test drive: Comparing indoor mosquito killers

Why it matters: There are oodles of products marketed to desperate bug buffets like me who want to kill or repel mosquitoes indoors. But not all are created equal.

Case in point: I bought this bug lamp that's supposed to suck up mosquitoes and other flying insects with a fan directed at a sticky trap.

• The futuristic shape and UV light make it look like it would be effective, but whenever I used it nothing happened.

💡 Reality check: Mosquitoes aren't attracted to UV light, which is what many products on the market use. They're more attracted to carbon dioxide or anything that mimics their human victims.

I tried two of the highest-rated Amazon products:

• The Shieldeck Flying Insect Trap ($37.99), a plug-in that claims to use carbon dioxide to lure mosquitoes and trap other bugs with its UV light over a sticky trap. ABC News recently named it one of the best indoor mosquito traps.
• Hodiax Octenol Pest Lures ($12.98) use a chemical called 1-Octen-3-ol, or mushroom alcohol, to mimic human breath and sweat. The tiny pods are meant to go on sticky traps or inside bug lamps like mine (about $30-$40).

The experiment: I used both for two weeks in my kitchen, near where mosquitos tend to welcome themselves whenever the front door is opened.

👎 The loser: Shieldeck trapped house flies, ants and gnats, but no mosquitos. Seeing them on the trap was nasty and I worried about guests seeing them.

👍 The winner: My previously useless bug lamp sucked up a ton of mosquitoes thanks to the Octenol lures.

• And since they're inside the machine, you don't have to look at the bugs unless you're changing out the sticky trap (or you're morbidly curious).