Lentek Hand-Held Electronic Bug Vacuum - GOTCHA!...You Little @#%*
Written: Feb 09 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: No messy splatter on windows or walls, rechargeable, catch and release option, extendable, non-toxic
Cons: Suction is a little weak, bugs can stick to the grid
The Bottom Line: Effectively captures and kills most household insects. Perfect for stray spiders, ants and flies. Avoids messy splatters. Nice alternative to toxic sprays. Not appropriate for heavy infestations.
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| amyk49's Full Review: Lentek Bug Vacuum BV01-G-7A |
I must tell you what motivated me to find this unique yet practical device. This last year our home has been besieged by these disgusting, evil beetle-like bugs. We call them stink bugs because if you smash them or disturb them they emit this sort of almond smell. We've been finding them about the house, sometimes 5 to 10 or more a day. They're HUGE, too! About one to one and a half inches long. If I'm the only one home and must deal with it, (this duty ordinarily falls to my chivalrous husband), usually I will smash them with a book or whatever is handy, pick up the remains with a tissue and dispose of them. Very yucky! Hubby, more brave than I, has sometimes picked them up by their little antennae and carried them outside. Me, I want them DEAD!
Of course living in a rural area we get more than our fair share of spiders, flies, ants, and other assorted household insects. But those dang beetle-things were the last straw! Lentek Bug Vacuum, Hand-Held Electronic Spider & Insect Trap to the rescue!
~ What is it and How Does it Work?
The Lentek Bug Vacuum is a nice-looking unit that creates suction which captures and kills unwanted bugs.
The Bug Vacuum has a really unique design, with a trap door near the tip of the vacuum nozzle. After the pest has been sucked into the tube, the trap door shuts and the insect is trapped inside and carried by the vacuum to a low voltage grid at the base which incinerates the little buggar. Then you just pull off the vacuum tube and empty the contents. No more chasing flies or bugs around the house and smashing them all over the walls with a flyswatter.
There is a built in safety feature which instantly deactivates the low voltage grid whenever the vacuum tube is removed for emptying, so you don't have to worry about getting zapped. (It only carries 9V.)
This feature also allows for a catch and release option. Just don't push the vacuum tube all the way down on the base. This disables the low voltage grid, and you can capture the pest and release it outside.
Here are some other features:
~ Flexible, wide rubber tip can trap bugs in corners (so they say, but doesn't work as well in tight spots)
~ The nozzle is extendable up to 27", or collapses to 22"
~ Stylish (really!) charging stand with LED charge indicator
~ LED light on vacuum will tell you when battery is getting low
~ Two year warranty
The Bug Vac is very well made. It does not feel or look cheap. The vacuum tube is made of a heavy-duty semi-transparent plastic. It actually seems stylish, with its curved shape, easy-to-hold comfortable handle, and clean, blue and off-white colors.
It's not very heavy, but I wouldn't call it super lightweight either. The hand-held part weighs in at 24.5 oz.
~ Here's How to Use
You must charge the Lentek Bug Vacuum by placing it on the charging base for a full 24 hours prior to the first use. Just place the hand unit into the charging base with the On/Off switch in the Off position. The LED light on the base will turn green when it's all charged.
Find a bug. (Funny how they all seem to suddenly disappear at this point.) Place the capture tip over the insect. Turn the switch to On. Let the Bug Vac run for about 10 to 15 seconds after the insect has been captured to make sure it is exposed to the low voltage grid. (The trap door will shut to keep the insect in the tube.)
To empty, turn the switch to the Off position. Remove the detachable tube and dispose of the pest. That's it!
~ My Experience with the Lentek Bug Vacuum
Okay, now comes the test. I spied one of those evil beetle bugs on the wall. I ran with glee to get the Bug Vac where it was stored on its charging base. I placed the capture tip over the bug and turned it on. The bug didn't immediately go into the tube. I had to sort of nudge the bug with the capture tip to get it dislodged from the wall and into the tube. But there it went! I let the vac run for a minute to make sure it was dead. Remember, these are BIG bugs! Hardy little fellas, too. But the Bug Vac caught and killed 'em.
I've noticed that with these particular pests, if I'm trying to Bug Vac them up from the carpet, they are sometimes hard to get into the vac. They seem to stick or hold on tighter to the carpet than they can on the wall or window. (The suction is weak - see below for Things I Don't Like.)
I have since caught stray ants easily. I've gotten flies from the ceilings and walls. I've snatched up spiders from the bathroom.
The flexible, very wide capture tip allows you to easily place it over any insect. Much, much easier than swatting at them!
It's easy enough to empty the contents. The tube just pulls off to expose the low voltage grid. (The grid is disabled when the tube is detached.) Then you dump the contents in the trash, outside, or I just usually dump it in the toilet and flush.
When bugs touch the grid, I do not hear any zapping sound, as you do from those outside bug zappers. There's really no indication at all that the bug has hit the grid. (Although my husband said he saw a spark once when he caught a spider.) I haven't noticed any smoke from zapped bugs either.
Although the vacuum tube is semi-transparent, I've found it's difficult or impossible to see the bug inside on the grid, unless it's one of those huge beetles. The grid is slightly inset below the see-through part of the tube, so unless you detach the tube you can't see the bug inside.
~ Some Things I Don't Like
The suction on the Bug Vac is NOT as strong as an ordinary vacuum. I've found myself on occasion wishing the suction were stronger, especially when dealing with those heavy-duty beetles. However, the suction is adequate and works pretty good for more ordinary pests such as ants, spiders, and flies, especially on a flat surface. Just don't expect the Bug Vac to suck up the bugs quite like your regular vacuum.
The low voltage grid at the bottom of the tube is rather small, about one inch in diameter. This means that, depending on the size of the bug(s), you may have to empty after just one or two captures. With the big beetle bugs, I really have to empty after each one, maybe two, or the grid becomes covered with the bug carcass and the next one doesn't touch the grid. You could capture and kill maybe 2 to 3 little spiders before you'd need to empty, for instance. But it really does depend on the size of the pest.
Also, and this may be my biggest gripe, sometimes when you empty it the bugs stick to the grid and won't come out. Shake it, knock it, whatever - they just stay stuck to the grid. One time I had to get a toothpick to knock out the debris. I didn't like that. But so far that's only happened once.
Also, while the flexible tip is supposed to allow you to capture in corners, it really doesn't work so good in tight or awkward spaces. A flat surface is definitely best.
~ Alternative I Didn't Choose
I also looked at another bug vac, not made by Lentek, that used a gel capture system, whereby the bug is sucked into a gel. After so many captures you just dispose of the gel pack. The only problem is that you have to keep buying replacement gel packs. With the Lentek Bug Vac you never have to buy anything else again, as it simply recharges.
~ Final Thoughts
The Lentek Bug Vacuum is really nice to have around the house, office, or porch to get rid of flies, stray ants, mosquitoes, spiders, and other assorted insects. You never have to touch the bug, and no more messy, dirty bug splatter on windows and walls. And the extendable tube helps you reach the ones up high. Nice alternative to toxic and costly pesticides. If you want to just catch the bug and release it outdoors, you can do that, too.
If you have lines or armies of ants, this probably isn't the answer. If you are infested with cockroaches, look elsewhere. But for the stray insect, this does the job. At about $50, it's a little expensive, but I think it's worth it.
Great gift idea, folks! For the person who has everything, or for that gal (or guy) who just can't stand dealing with bugs.
For more information or to order, visit www.lentek.com.
Recommended:
Yes
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