BugZooka - Bug Vacuum with Long Nozzle - No Batteries or Toxic Chemicals, Humane Bug Catcher Indoor - 1 Pack

My family has had a bugzooka for more than 15 years. I bought this when my kids were little because I don't like killing insects and this tool allows me to capture most tiny critters without causing them harm, showing my kids the insects - spiders, moths, grasshoppers, even scorpions before releasing them into my backyard. My kids have grown up with this device and I have gifted it to other friends. It comes with a spare chamber attachment which is helpful. The design is simple and functional compared to other high tech, electronic bug capturing tools. You push the spring to prime and them push the button to activate the suction pump. Point the tip of the bugzooka as close to the insect as possible, like touching it, if possible, and push the button, and bam! you will find the insect trapped in the translucent chamber. Remember this is not a Dyson vacuum on max power suction. It's a simple mechanical device that works well when used properly. My only complaint with this product is that the front chamber is brittle and prone to breaking. Which is why they include a second one, but they need to include a total of 4 or 5 chambers because the acrylic is easy to break or crack and the "trapdoors" at the mouth of the front chamber often lose the spring which kinda kills its utility immediately. You also can't buy just the chamber for a reasonable price, you have to buy a whole new bugzooka! In spite of this complaint, we love the bugzooka and it is a standard fixture in our home. I'm sure my kids will look for it when they have their own homes too. I found a workaround after struggling to find replacement chambers after the first few years I had it. I would attach a small rubber balloon around the mouth of the chamber and cut an X in it, and pull the ballon back so the rubber flap with the X cut in it would sit squarely over the mouth of the chamber. This worked like a charm for almost 10 years. For a long time the bugzooka was not available on Amazon. When I found it again this year, I quickly bought a replacement and gifted my friend a set. They love it as well. If you are looking for a simple functional tool to catch and release bugs and insects in your house, instead of killing them, this tool is for you. It will last a long time and will serve you well.

This tool is a creative use of suction to capture and remove bugs from your home. You don't have to kill them or risk making a mark on the wall. There also is no need for batteries or any maintenance, so the only reason not to deploy them all over your home is their cost (they should offer a reduced price for three).

This is a game changer for me. Around here we have stink bugs. We used to squash them and, naturally, that caused mess and "stink." Or, you gently grabbed it with a tissue (and you could feel it through the tissue - gross), took it outside to let it loose or squash it. Letting it loose was really not an option as, at some point, back inside it would come. Then I bought this. Those nasty looking, smelly things now can be reached with a nice, long pole so I can stay far away from it. No smell. No mess. They simply stay contained in there until they are no longer moving. Or I can dump them into a jar of detergent water to get rid of them quicker. Of course, it works for other bugs too. Houseflies are a challenge, but your skill level improves with each catch and this becomes more of a game and less of a chore. Not sure if I would try it on a massive stinging insect, that would most likely be a job for a more serious weapon like a vacuum. But this is a great addition to any home.

I have no idea how this item received so many positive reviews. Dollar for dollar this item costs more and offers less than other options. Please read my whole review if you want to know what your best options are, as I've spent the money trying different products and I will hopefully spare you from having to do so as well. As a preface, you should certainly know that I am your average Amazon customer and I have no conflict of interest whatsoever. I have never actually spent the time to write a review until now because of how outraged I am with the misleading reviews of this product. I bought this item along with a bug wand, an electrifying bug racket, and a flyswatter as it is now spring and the bugs are coming out. Out-of-the-box this item rattled as if there was a screw loose from within the lower chamber that sucks in the air. That may be the reason my unit does not function very well, however if that is not the reason, this item is absolutely worthless. The suction power it generates is not enough to suck up any bug unless you are literally about an inch away or less, and almost no bug will let you get that close without flying away. I would highly recommend the bug racket instead with one caveat: It certainly depends on what type of bug you're trying to kill, if the bug flies the racket is clearly the best option, if the bug does not fly, for example, a spider, an ant, or even a cockaroach the racket will not be your best option. I would recommend a bug wand for small to medium sized spiders (it clearly won't work for anything close to a tarantula-sized spider) and medium to large sized ants. As for cockroaches, the wand most likely will yield a mediocre performance at best. The bugzooka would have been a good option if it actually could generate the suction power it claims to generate. I don't currently know which gadget would be the best for cockroaches as they have never been a concern of mine. The bug racket was $11.50 and I personally believe it is the best money that I've spent in a while. One thing I love about the racket is that there is absolutely no cleanup involved, the bug literally sticks to the racket, I think due to the remnant static electricity, and then you just put it over the garbage, tap a couple times, and it falls dead into the garbage can, whereas with this unit, you have the mess of trying to dispose of a living bug which the bugzooka traps and does not make very easy to dispose of without potentially coming into contact with the living bug. The only way you can avoid coming into contact with the living bug is by waiting for the bug to die (which takes several days for most bugs and in the meantime they defecate all over the device), and even then it's not easy to dispose of the bug without getting very close or touching it. For the cost of this device it is disgracefully awful; in contrast, the bug racket is a complete steal for $12, God only knows how they were able to assemble the electrifying racket for less than $12 and make a profit. Obviously it was made in China, even so, the electrical components, the metal wiring, the parts seem like they would cost more than $12 in and of themselves. The bug wand which costs around $11 is certainly not an amazing device but it works well, not perfectly, but gets the job done (provided the bug is not huge) and is cheaper than this piece of junk. Disposal of the bug with the Bug wand is not ideal either but certainly better than this device. By the way, you do need two AA batteries for the bug racket and one 9 V battery for the bug wand. Also, if I am able to resolve my problems with this device, I promise to post an update. Geez, I can't believe I spent so much time on one review, I hope this time was worth it for one of you out there.

I love this thing! It truly is the easiest solution for getting rid of bugs. It uses simple mechanics of suction to pull the bug into a tube, which you can then empty in a more appropriate place. No electricity or batteries needed! The suction makes it easier to catch the bug too. It works especially well on stinkbugs and spiders, and pretty well on flying insects, as long as they don’t fly off. I don’t know how it would do on cockroaches; I assume as long as it’s not larger than the opening on the tube, it should work fine. The only weak point (literally) is that you have to be careful not to press too hard when you’re attaching the plastic tube to the “gun” because it can crack easily. Found that out the hard way. Now I know to be more careful. It is expensive for what it is, but just buy it. You’ll love it.

Great idea and a great bug catcher. We live in the country and every spring and fall we have marmorated stink bugs everywhere. When the spring they come out while the fields are producing and in the fall when the fields are harvested. The BugZooka makes it super easy to catch and get rid of the stink bugs.

Works great. On the first day I owned it, I caught a wolf spider with it on the floor at work, as fast as they are. It was unhurt and I released it outside. The company also has excellent customer service. I called them for some help with an issue and they responded immediately. Be aware that there is mineral oil or some kind of lubricant inside the telescoping section -- I got some lube on my hands and it could get on your clothes if you are not careful. Normally you do not even need to extend the telescope.

I got this primarily to handle the dreaded stink bugs that have been invading our area lately. They freak me out, they seem to love to hover on the ceiling right above me (looking like they're about to pounce, for real!), and the only methods I have found so far to be usually successful are: 1) A spray that is just as pungent as the stink bug odor (plus, it's oily and messy) -OR- 2) A fly swatter IF I hit them JUST RIGHT, and hard enough to kill in one whack... unfortunately, it's not always easy in my space to get that perfect angle, and once I've hit it with all my might, where it lands is anyone's guess. Too many times, I've been sitting on my bed, and an hour or two after whacking a stink bug across the room, there he is just walking across my bed! I assume it's the same one I hit, because this has only ever happened the times I hit one and didn't see where it landed. I thought a good bug vacuum would be the best solution, but I heard they (if they were even decent to begin with) set off the stink bugs' defensive odor, which I did not want happening! (I made the mistake of putting an outdoor bug zapper in the hallway outside my bedroom, hoping it would ward off the problem. That lasted exactly ONE night because the smell of zapped stink bug is SO MUCH WORSE than you can imagine! And it LASTED. That was NOT a good night's sleep!) So, out of desperation, I went looking for a solution. I chose the Bugzooka for the following reasons: 1) The length. I needed something I could easily reach my ceiling with. (A+ for length! It's long enough that I can reach the bugs on my ceiling, but it's not so long that it's unmanageable.) 2) The good reviews. 3) The fact that either the product page or a review mentioned that yes, it works for stink bugs, and no, it does not make them release their defensive odor, due to the lack of a fan inside it. It arrived, and I was fascinated and skeptical. It is air-activated. You kind of "pump" it by pressing this air chamber, and then it locks into that position with the chamber compressed. When you wish to suck something up, you press the release button. This makes the chamber pop out, sucking the air back in with it. I tried it against my hand, and also, like, a piece of paper. I was not convinced this would work for stink bugs, because the suction really didn't feel very powerful. I also feared that you would pretty much have to position the nozzle end directly onto whatever bug you were trying to remove before sucking it in, and that just isn't ideal! In many cases, like for bugs in a flying frenzy, it would be impossible! The most concerning part to me, though, was the trap door. It's french door style, so two little shutters that part in the middle. They open both inward and outward, and with the same ease! Now I do realize that the doors open inward from the force of the air suction, but it really doesn't take much pressure to push outward. Stink bugs can be rather huge, and I couldn't see any reason why they would be unable to get back out. My first attempt at capturing a stink bug proved my first concern true: You really have to have the nozzle, like, RIGHT ON the bug! Luckily, he didn't really move after my failed first attempt, so I pumped the air chamber again, repositioned, pushed the nozzle end against the stink bug, pretty much into the ceiling, pressed the button to suck the air in, and VOILÀ! It was inside the holding cell! I set it aside, but couldn't stop worrying that the damn thing would just press through the doors and get back out! I couldn't concentrate, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep with that anxiety, so I did something unconventional. I had a bag of diatomaceous earth handy. So I pumped the Bugzooka, stuck the nozzle into the bag, but just barely against the surface of the DE. I pressed the button, and it sucked some DE into the holding cell with the stink bug. I felt MUCH better after that. Since then, I have sucked maybe 5-6 stink bugs into the chamber (and one winged ant). I haven't taken them out. I have added more DE a few times, both because it sucks up moisture, so it reduces after time, and also because the very nature of the Bugzooka design means that every time I press the button to suck a bug into it, it sucks some of my diatomaceous earth out of the holding cell and into the pump chamber. It's getting harder to use (it takes several attempts, now, to get the catch to hold when I compress the air pump), but that is probably my own fault for not cleaning it out sooner. I expect once I clean it, it will work better again. That said, even at its best, it's not super easy to use. For one thing, not that you have to be super strong to use it, or anything, but compressing the air pump is not effortless. I pretty much have to stand with the Bugzooka in both hands, nozzle facing outward, and pull the pump into my gut until it finally locks into place! It includes a warning on it not to store it in the "ready" position, but I need it to be ready to go when I need it! So I keep it ready. I assume their warning is for safety reasons? But considering it won't even suck in a bug unless you've positioned the coin-sized opening so directly on top of the bug that it's practically inside the holding cell even before you activate the suction, because the suction alone isn't powerful enough to pull it in, I am not sure what exactly the danger is to leaving it ready. It's not going to suck up your family pet by accident, or anything! I will say that, though I love the length (most bug vacuums look like - probably are, actually - a kid's toy. Laughably tiny and chintzy.), and it really feels hardily constructed, and not cheaply made... it IS cumbersome! It's not something I can just casually walk around with. And it's never going to be nearby, ready to use, without also being very noticeable and awkward wherever it is in your house. Oh, one really nice thing about it is that it is 100% activated by air, and your own pumping of the air. There are no batteries, and nothing to charge. While this is one part of what makes it less powerful than actual vacuum options, it makes it a great backup option for when you're out of batteries, or the power is out and you can't charge anything! So it might be worth it for that? All in all, I'm not sorry I bought it, but I won't be stocking up on one for every room, or anything. It's a really unique idea, and I could see it being a great option, but for all the down sides, I may suggest continuing your search.

I already own one that i purchased well over 15 years ago and bought a second one for my parents. I love mine, use it often, all of us really love it because it is very easy to use and i think it's fun. Very durable and have had no issues with it, i recommend this product 100%!

Very effective and GENTLE on bumble bees . Also fine for butterflies too. Also long reach. But it does need to be within about an inch away from the trapdoors.

So easy to use and works perfectly

I have been using one of these for years and love it. When you capture the spider or whatever, they are not hurt & you can let them go outside, if you wish. I keep a spare one, just in case & have also given them to family members or friends. Everyone that has seen mine, have also ordered one.

This item does not work! Needs negative stars! Pathetic suction does not capture an insect unless the "muzzle" is practically touching it. Managed to catch a spider but the poor thing's legs got damaged as it was sucked into the tube. I managed to pick up a few dead flies on the windowsill. Otherwise, nothing lets you come up close enough for the tiny suction to work. Don't waste your money. I am going to recycle it into the plastics curbside blue bin. Back to a flyswatter (fliers) and an empty yoghurt container (crawlers) for me. At least with the yoghurt container, you can catch and release successfully and without harming the insect.