Zaperly Fruit Fly Trap: Plug-In Bug Catchers Review
I set up the Zaperly fruit fly trap in our kitchen. Sticky cards, blue UV light, no chemicals. Here's what it actually does at night.
Reviewed by
Seb and Michelle
We've tested over 6,500 products in the last 5 years – collaborating with over 4,000 brands and bringing our style of reviews to multiple platforms. More about me →
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The Zaperly fruit fly trap catches bugs, it doesn’t zap them. No electric grid, no snap, no smell. The first thing I did was peel the film off one of the adhesive cartridges, and my finger nearly got stuck to it. Boom, just like that. It is extremely, extremely sticky. So don’t put your finger on there, which I came very close to doing on camera. You can check the current price and availability on Amazon here.
Quick Verdict
I peeled the film off the first cartridge and my finger nearly got stuck to it. That’s the whole product in one moment: no chemicals, just a surface that grabs. Two traps, 10 cards, and something on my kitchen wall that doesn’t look like a gross bug zapper.
Buy if you:
- fight fruit flies around a kitchen counter or fruit bowl
- won’t put chemical sprays near food or pets
- hate how bulky bug zappers look on a wall
- want spare cartridges included instead of buying refills day one
Skip if you:
- expect a big blue glow. You get a thin edge of light, not a beam
- need it working in daylight. I saw the real difference at night
- want a satisfying click when the cartridge clips on. There isn’t one
| Includes | 2 plug-in traps, 10 glue cards |
|---|---|
| Attraction | Blue UV light |
| Light modes | 3 fixed brightness levels, plus long-press dimming |
| Color | White |
| Design | Foldable plug, detachable base |
| Chemicals | None. Adhesive only |
Why Zaperly Fruit Fly Trap Beats Bug Zappers
There’s no chemicals on there. It is just a sticky surface. That’s it. For a kitchen, where our fruit bowl lives and our French bulldog Walter is always underfoot, that matters more than any marketing line on the box.
Where It Won’t Do Much
At night it works. During the day, the blue light drowns in window glare and catches almost nothing. The blue light is competing with every window in the house, so the trap is basically a decorative white plug-in until the sun goes down. For me, I see a big difference using this at night, because at night those bugs will see that one and only blue light around. They gather. In the morning you’ll have fun just watching how many you caught that night.
Bright sunroom with a gnat problem? You’re looking at a decorative white plug-in until sundown. This trap earns its keep after dark, pointed at the only blue light in the room, not competing with a wall of windows.
People Think This Is a Zapper. It Isn’t.
The blue UV light only attracts, the adhesive card does the catching, exactly the way my finger nearly got held. That’s also why you never touch a dead bug with this thing: slide the used card out, drop a fresh one in, done. That’s also why you never touch a dead bug with this thing. You slide the used card out, drop a fresh one in, done.
Second misconception: that it lights up your kitchen like a nightclub. You don’t necessarily see a big blue glow from there, just a little tiny edge on there through two see-through grooves in the housing. On our kitchen wall you catch a bit of the glow, especially when you turn all the lights on or off. Otherwise it’s subtle.
Against the Ugly Plastic Zappers
Most traps are bulky blue plastic boxes that scream ‘bug problem’ to guests; this one clips to an outlet and blends into the wall. Most indoor traps are bulky, blue-glowing plastic boxes that announce to guests that you have a bug problem. This one, once it’s clipped together and plugged in, actually kind of blends into a wall, to an outlet. Looks very, very nice. Stylish, I even dare say.
It also doubles as a night light, and with 3 fixed brightness levels plus a long-press continuous dim, you can tune it down to almost nothing in a bedroom or hallway. That’s the part I’d have paid for on its own, because a trap you’re willing to leave in a visible spot is a trap that’s actually running 24/7 instead of hidden behind the trash can.
Clipping It Together Takes About Ten Seconds
Setup is peel, clip, plug, press. The cartridge sits in a reusable plastic frame, and there are two notches on one side and two on the other. I tried to feel for a click and there wasn’t one. Oh, oh, there’s no click. Clearly they wanna make it easy for you to take it on and off, so you literally just push it down and it fits. And look how good it looks.
That no-click thing is the one bit of friction I hit. With no audible confirmation, you’re going on feel, and the first time I wasn’t sure it was seated until I looked at it straight on. It’s not a deal-breaker. It’s just a half second of “did that go on right?” every swap.
One detail I love: the plug folds flat against the body for storage. This thing, I love when they do it, when they have it like that. You put it down flat, so it’s not gonna damage that outlet, and it travels without bending a prong. Once it’s plugged in you’ve got a power button right on the unit, one press and the blue light is on.
What Ownership Actually Costs After the Box
Cards are the only consumable, and you get 10 in the box with 2 traps. There’s nothing to wash, nothing to scrape, nothing to empty. When a card fills up you pull it, bin it, and clip in the next one. The plastic frame is reusable, so you’re only ever replacing the adhesive insert.
Which Room to Put Them In
Put one near the fruit, put the second wherever the gnats breed. You’ve got two units, so don’t waste the pair on one room. Kitchen counter area and bathroom, or kitchen and the plant corner, covers most households. And place them where the room gets dark, because that’s when the blue light is the only light bugs can see and the catch rate goes up.
Pros
- The adhesive is extremely sticky, no chemicals involved, just a sticky surface
- Blends into the wall and outlet, looks stylish instead of like a bug zapper
- Cartridge swaps are film-off, clip-on, no touching bugs
- Foldable plug so you can store it flat without damaging the outlet
- Two traps and 10 spare cards included out of the gate
Cons
- No click when the cartridge seats, so you’re guessing by feel
- Blue light is only a tiny edge glow, not the glow the category trains you to expect
- Daytime performance is basically invisible. Night is where it works
What we’d improve
Two easy fixes for the next version:
- No tactile click on the cartridge, a light detent so you know it’s seated without turning the unit sideways to check.
- A pull tab on the adhesive film, the surface is so sticky that a proper tab would keep fingers away from it entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe around kids and pets?
There are no chemicals, no spray, and no electric grid, so the only hazard is the glue itself. It’s extremely sticky, so mount it at outlet height where small hands and curious dogs aren’t poking at the card.
Can I leave it plugged in all the time?
Yes, it’s designed for 24/7 operation. There’s a power button on the unit if you’d rather only run it overnight, and the brightness drops low enough to live in a bedroom without keeping you up.
Can I take it on a trip or use it in an RV?
Sure, the plug folds flat and the base detaches, so it packs without bending a prong. It needs a standard indoor outlet, so it’s an RV or hotel-room device, not a tent one.
What’s the return policy?
A 30-day return window is listed for this item. Check the live listing at the link before you order, since return terms vary by seller.
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Two traps, 10 cards, no chemicals, and something Walter hasn’t managed to knock off the wall yet, the Zaperly two-pack is at the link below.
Learn more
Zaperly Fruit Fly Traps, 2-Pack + 10 Cartridges
Get the best price today →Affiliate link. See the disclosure at the top of this post.
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🛍️ Zapperly Fruit Fly Trap with Adhesive Cartridges — check price on Amazon →
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About the reviewer
Seb and Michelle
We've tested over 6,500 products in the last 5 years - collaborating with over 4,000 brands and bringing our style of reviews to multiple platforms.
