ps to bug gal and her review.
mosquetoes arn't attracted to light? could that be why there is a pest strip for under the hot light that, when heated up, attracts mosquetoes like CRAZY!!! do you want a body count? there are some very deceased mosquetoes out there under my flowtron.
and as to it killing beneficial flying bugs....do you mean those little moths that are outside waiting for you to open you door so they can eat holes in your clothes? get a grip.


MORE THAN FIVE STARS!   July 7, 2007
R. Johns (Monterey, CA)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

I ordered the Flowtron BK-80D bug zapper after having used a different, smaller model, which was also made by Flowtron (model BK-7). The BK-7 model worked okay, but quickly clogged up with bugs (pretty much each night). After about a week of this, it shorted out so badly that it melted a hole in the plastic part which held the wires apart. That was the end of that. The BK-7 model used a series of round wires that go horizontally, but this tended to trap the bugs. Even with constant cleaning, it was always giving me problems.

After it went out, I decided to give Flowtron one last shot. I saw the model BK-80 on Amazon.com and ordered it after reading the reviews. I have installed the unit on the corner of my house and it works amazingly well!

I put the zapper on an outdoor timer, which turns the unit on around 7 pm in the evening and then off automatically around 8 am when the sun comes up. This works great! The timer I used was the Intermatic model HB31R (sold on Amazon and at local building stores). It's a very simple little timer with a nice cover to keep the weather out. I ran the power cords with a "J" loop in them, so any rain water would drip off the bottom of the "J" and not get into the socket.

Anyway, the timer is very simple to use and makes a great additon to the Flowtron. The Flowtron BK-80D is well made and straight forward. On my unit (as I had done with the previous BK-7 model and as mentioned by another reviewer), I took some pruning sheers and cut out every other plastic slat in order to allow easier cleaning and so that larger bugs can get in more quickly.

The unit gives off a lot of light and is able to attract bugs from both the first level and 2nd level of my house (I have it mounted above the 2nd story deck on the corner). It draws all of the moths that used to hang out on our windows - from as far away as about 30 or 40 feet. One zap and they are toast. The design of the BK-80D is much better than other models I have seen. The vertical rods are well made and allow the bugs to slide down and fall out of the unit after they are killed. Not all bugs fall out, but I would say about 95% or so do fall out of their own accord. By morning time, the wind has also helped blow some of the rest out of the unit and they have fallen on the deck.

Interestingly enough, where I live, yellowjackets have figured out that any bugs stuck in the rods are a free lunch - and since my unit goes off at dawn via the timer, the yellowjackets can get in there and remove any stuck moth bodies without being zapped in the afternoon. It's a great deal for me, since it saves a little clean up. I have actually seen the yellowjackets wiggle the stuck insect bodies until they come loose from the rods, then they fly off with them! It also seems like they clean up the ones that have fallen on the deck, although that may be birds stopping by in the morning and/or the wind blowing them off the side of the deck. I'm not sure. Whatever the case, the unit requires almost zero cleaning and doesn't clog up hardly at all.

While this unit is a little more pricey than some, the extra few bucks are well worth it. The gold ring at the top (used to hang the unit) is sort of poorly designed, but it's easy to replace with a little work if you want (mine had a big gap in it - almost enough to allow the ring to come off the mounting point, which I didn't like. However, this may actually be there to help taking the unit on and off a hook or something). In my case, I simply cut the ring off with some bolt cutters and put a smaller stainless steel split ring in its place. Most people probably wouldn't mind the standard gold ring that comes with the unit, but I am very picky :-)

Note that you will need to purchase an extension cord to use this unit. The cord that comes out of the unit is only about 6 inches in length. It's not long enough to reach anything. I bought a 12 foot extension cord and ran it along the house and over to the Intermatic timer. Then the timer plugs into any standard outdoor outlet.

Since using the unit, there have been almost zero moths bugging us. I live out in the forest, so there is no shortage of bugs flying around here. Even with other lights on, the bugs seem to favor the Flowtron. The unit does make noise when the bugs are zapped (as all units do), but since the bugs routinely fall away from the zapping rods pretty quickly (much better than with other units), it's only a short zap. Once in a while there will be a longer zap, but not too often. At the rate this unit kills bugs, I think I may make a dent in the bug population around here - which is fine with me.

The unit has two bulbs that are easy to replace. Each one is held into place with a plastic clip-in cup sort of affair. This cup also doubles as the holder for the MA-1000 Octenol attractant cartridges, although I have yet to use those. The unit does come with one sample cartridge so you can try it. The instructions say the light heats up the cartridge and then it gives off its scent to attract mosquitos. Like I say, I haven't had a chance to try it; it seems to work fine without it.

All in all, a top notch design; makes life a lot nicer without having to constantly fight moths and flying bugs. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better bug zapper for the home/yard.