Bug-A-Salt Review

The gun uses a pump action to supply the power behind its firing. You don’t have to buy batteries or worry about it not working. It slides smoothly back and forth. It makes the sounds you’d expect which adds to the fun.

The manufacturer’s website has a couple of tongue-in-cheek YouTube videos that show it in action. They do an excellent job of selling the product and are amusing of themselves. We’d suggest giving the site a look. The product descriptions are funny along with the graphics and other info it provides. You can’t help but laugh when it advises you to contact your local DNR about flying hunting regulations.

It uses table salt for ammo which is readily available anywhere. You can get 80 shot per load. You fill it on the top of it near the front. Then, you can cock it and begin shooting. The gun has a sight and an auto-safety latch that you must release before it will fire.

Each fill is about one to two tablespoons of salt. You’ll have fun with one before it’s time to refill it again. The manufacturer stresses that it is the only ammo you should use. Otherwise, you’ll void the warranty.

The force behind the gun isn’t overly powerful. And since the ammo is light, you won’t hurt anything if you use it indoors. The advantage it provides is access in hard-to-reach areas. According to the manufacturer, you can safely use it on mirrors or windows.

As we mentioned above, it doesn’t shoot hard which is why you need to get close to the flies to get them. The manufacturer recommends a three-foot distance. They also state that it won’t leave a mess as far as the bugs are concerned.

It works as described and does indeed kill the pests if you hit the mark. Each shot sprays a small amount of salt at your target. You do need to pump it before every shot. It’s relatively easy to keep shooting until you get the bug.

The gun is easy to hold and lightweight so that you can keep killing insects without getting fatigued right away. The distance between the handle and the front is comfortable with a textured grip for more efficient operation.

There’s no denying that the Bug-A-Salt is fun to use. And it does feel good to get rid of the flies quickly and decisively. We found the action on it was ideal. It killed the bugs once we got used to the sight and accuracy.

The auto-safety lock is a welcome feature that may deter children from trying it out. That said, the design encourages curiosity about it with the whimsical pictures of flies along its length. While it won’t hurt anyone to get shot with it, the salt is problematic if it gets into anyone’s eyes.

Our primary complaint with it is that the gun is messy to use, especially indoors. Unfortunately, that’s where you may find it most useful to have something to kill the bugs. And while it won’t harm furniture, there exists a potential that the salt may scratch some surfaces.

The eradication device, as the manufacturer calls it, is not cheap. They are easily the price of a comparable toy gun. While there are other products that have a similar function, the Bug-A-Salt is unique in its action and use of table salt ammo.

There are lots of choices of accessories from the manufacturer and third-party sellers if you want to take it to the next level. You’ll find laser scopes to improve your aim. They even sell high-performance salt that has larger grains and is clump-free. Overall, we’d consider it a novelty that will make you laugh while you make your home pest-free.

Bug-A-Salt Camofly 2.0

The Camofly 2.0 is a limited edition version of the original with black and green festooned along its length. It’s mostly the same with different branding. It is also the updated version too. It boasts greater accuracy with more power behind each shot and less salt released. The manufacturer states that the labeling won’t come off no matter what.

Even with its colors, it doesn’t resemble a real weapon and has an orange point that shows it’s a toy and not a gun. The product description sells this unit with a promise that it’ll match your hunting outerwear.

Bug-A-Salt Lawn & Garden Edition

The Lawn & Garden Edition comes in a yellow and green cheerful design that belies its purpose. The manufacturer describes it as the weapon you can use outside with bigger salt loads per shot. The company also acknowledges the mess factor in its rundown of the features.

It’s slightly heavier than the other two. Because it releases more salt, the number of shots between refills is 50 versus 80 for the previous two. The product description boasts that it can take down bigger bugs such as roaches too. We couldn’t help laughing when we read of the company’s official warning to flies about it being “one pump, and it’s over.”