Spartan Mosquito Eradicator Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Verdict & FAQ

Review Summary

Since 2020, “Eradicator” has disappeared from Spartan Mosquitoes’ name—unlike the little vectors still lingering in consumers’ yards. After facing a class action lawsuit over false claims, Spartan Mosquito Eradicator tried to save face by simply dropping the last word from their name and completely changing their product to something new. Spartan quietly stopped selling their defective mosquito “eradicator” that supposedly killed 95% of the mosquito population for 90 days. Instead, they replaced it with Spartan Mosquito Pro Tech that only works for 30 days and lists boric acid as the sole active ingredient. The majority of the ingredients in the new formula are masked under the term “inactive” ingredients, which comprise 90% of the solution.  While some Amazon reviewers tout the new product’s success, quite a few counter that the new one is also a scam that left swarms of mosquitoes in their yard rivaling a Mississippi swamp.

Spartan Mosquito Eradicator – A Quick Look

Specifications

The new Spartan Mosquito product features boric acid as the active ingredient. While boric acid actually does kill mosquitoes—unlike salt which was the supposed killing agent in the original formula—it seems that the new solution contains an excessive amount of boric acid. Studies have shown that a mere 1% boric acid mixed with 5% sugar and 94% water was 80-100% successful in killing mosquitoes. Given that boric acid is toxic to humans and can potentially cause reproductive harm, 10% boric acid seems like too much.

What Was in The Original Spartan Mosquito Eradicator?

The original product contained a concoction of sugar, yeast, and salt. The solution came in two tubes, which was advertised as enough solution to cover an acre of land. Users were instructed to add water and hang the mosquito-killing tubes into the trees about 100 ft. apart from each other. The manufacturer’s instructions included a zone map which told users when to set out their devices. In theory, the sugar drew the mosquitoes into the tube, where they would be killed by ingesting the salty water. The idea was to set the tubes out early in the season to kill the first round of mosquitoes, which would decrease the population for the rest of the year. However, you were supposed to replace the tubes every 90 days for best results.

The first flaw in Spartan’s plan was the formula itself. Scientific evidence does not support the idea of using salt to kill mosquitoes. Controlled studies where mosquitoes were fed pure water and saltwater showed a similar mortality rate in both cases, which meant salt didn’t kill them. Furthermore, the idea that a solution containing 1.3% salt would kill mosquitoes is interesting considering human blood is near the same salt concentration, and the ocean is 3x more concentrated. And everyone knows mosquitoes like to gather at the seaside.

What Happened to the Spartan Mosquito Eradicator?

Spartans soon found themselves caught in their trap. A consumer filed a class action lawsuit against Spartan on the grounds of false and misleading claims. Digging deeper, it was discovered that Spartan had forged an incredible amount of information beyond the dubious claims in the description.

Spartan, which is based in Hattiesburg, MS, said that it had the cooperation and support of the Mississippi Department of Public Health, which was a blatant lie. Their website even had a forged case study number with “GOV” in the name. Spartan based their case study on a simultaneous research project that really was happening at the time.

The study in particular was trying to find ways to curb the mosquito population in order to fight the Zika virus. At the time in summer 2016, there was a single confirmed case in Lamar County, MS, and the community was concerned about finding ways to fight the virus on their turf. In response, the surrounding area was chemically sprayed for mosquitoes. Spartan Mosquito discreetly placed their eradicator devices in the same area afterwards and then released a report saying their product was the best known way to prevent mosquitoes, and consequently, the Zika virus.

What’s In the New Formula?

The new Spartan Mosquito Pro Tech—Eradicator is no longer allowed in the title since it was found to be a false claim—completely throws out the sugar-salt-water idea and instead settles for an extremely high concentration of boric acid. While studies showed that an insignificant 1% of boric acid was enough to kill the majority of the mosquito population, the Pro Tech formula contains nearly 10%. There certainly won’t be a mosquito left standing now—or so it would seem.

Is the New Product Effective? Is It Safe?

Boric acid is scientifically proven to kill mosquitoes. However, it’s also toxic to humans and pets. The directions say to handle with extreme care, wearing gloves and long-sleeve clothing, avoiding contact with skin. According to the material safety data sheet, boric acid can cause reproductive harm to males and females, and cause birth defects to unborn children. In high enough concentrations, it can cause symptoms ranging from blue-green vomit to seizures to death.

However, chemical insecticides are generally not considered safe, so this isn’t a completely new concern. What’s possibly more troubling however is the fact that 90% of Spartan’s contents are mysteriously lumped under “inactive ingredients,” which means other toxins may be lurking in the mix.

FAQ

Is Spartan Mosquito Eradicator and Spartan Mosquito Pro Tech the same product?

No, the ingredients are completely different. Following a class action lawsuit, Spartan switched from a natural sugar-salt solution to a chemical boric acid approach to kill mosquitoes.

Is the Spartan Mosquito Eradicator still for sale?

No, this product has been discontinued. Scientific studies found that the formula was quite ineffective at reducing the mosquito population, and the term “eradicator” was flagged as false advertisement.

Is Spartan Mosquito Pro Tech cost-efficient?

Like the original formula, this solution comes in a pack of two tubes which the manufacturer claims are enough to adequately control the mosquito population in an acre of land. It costs under $40 for the two tubes, which isn’t bad, but a traditional mosquito zapper lantern only costs about $20 on Amazon and seems to work much better.

What the Users Say

Given the controversy with lawsuit and the new product, Amazon hosts a sea of differing opinions concerning Spartan Mosquito products. In general, a slight majority say that the product is effective. However, it’s important to note that some users aren’t talking about the same product, as some consumers don’t realize the formula has been fundamentally changed since 2020.

Conclusion

While the new boric acid solution may kill mosquitoes—unlike the original salt and sugar formula—it’s not really safe for humans, which was the entire appeal of the first product. Some users claim that the tubes work, but others still say it doesn’t work. Some users even claim that the first formula worked better, which was definitely a scam. We think an alternative natural solution like bug zapper or a citronella candle is a safer, cheaper, and a more tried-and-true method of mosquito control.