How a bag of dead rats proved this bug-busting gizmo really works

Promotional email highlighting the effectiveness of Terro Garbage Guard tested by Wirecutter.

Yuck View in browser Wait, what? Illustration: Dana Davis; Photo: Michael Murtaugh Wirecutter experts have done some pretty extreme things in their pursuit of the best-in-class products. But few have topped the gross charts like this classic tale of

June 10, 2024 3:21 PM

nytdirect@nytimes.com

How a bag of dead rats proved this bug-busting gizmo really works

Promotional email highlighting the effectiveness of Terro Garbage Guard tested by Wirecutter.

<html><head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta content="IE=edge"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1"><style type="text/css">  </style><style type="text/css">  </style></head><body><div style="color:transparent; visibility:hidden; opacity:0; font-size:0px; border:0; max-height:1px; width:1px; margin:0px; padding:0px; border-width:0px!important; display:none!important; line-height:0px!important"><img border="0" width="1" height="1" src="https://nl.nytimes.com/q/wSdq44bIEKAE7eOp6StVJA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRoSgFHPVcDbnl0QgpmVUd8Z2YMrUfRUhVlbXVsaXN0MDJAb3V0bG9vay5jb21YBAAAAAM~" alt=""></div><div style="display:none; font-size:1px; color:#fff; line-height:1px; max-height:0; max-width:0; opacity:0; overflow:hidden">Yuck</div><div><table width="100%" align="left" border="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="margin:0"><tbody><tr><td id="EMAIL_CONTAINER" align="left" width="100%"><div style="margin:0 auto; max-width:600px; width:100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="height:15px"></td></tr><tr><td width="100%" align="right" style="padding:15px 0 5px; text-align:right; width:100%; font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:12px"><a href="#" title="View in browser" style="color:#666; text-decoration:none; line-height:18px">View in browser</a></td></tr><tr><td style="height:5px"></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="border-top:0 solid transparent"></td></tr><tr><td><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/email-images/wirecutter/20230920_Header_The%20Recommendation_Mobile.png" alt="The Recommendation" style="width:100%"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:0 solid transparent"></td></tr><tr><td style="height:20px"></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0; font-size:0; border-top:9px solid #000"><h1 style="color:#000; font:700 46px/42px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:2px 0 12.5px 0; letter-spacing:-.6px"><span>Wait, what?</span></h1></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td><a href="#"><img width="600" height="300" class="css-1jxjpzi" src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-terro/wcd-pic-terro-jumbo.jpg" alt="The terro garbage guard on an orange background." style="width:100%; height:auto; display:block; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:5px"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="css-dz4dhe" width="100%" align="right" style="text-align:right; width:100%; padding-bottom:10px; line-height:14px"><span style="margin:0; font:11px/11px Helvetica,'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; color:#888; letter-spacing:.01em">Illustration: Dana Davis; Photo: Michael Murtaugh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>Wirecutter experts have done some pretty extreme things in their pursuit of the best-in-class products. But few have topped the gross charts like this classic tale of testing one of our favorite bug-obliterating gadgets.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>A solution to buggy trash cans, the Terro Garbage Guard sticks to the underside of garbage can lids and emits an insecticide that kills any flies or other nasties that try to live in there. To really put it to the test, senior staff writer Doug Mahoney used a bag of dead rats (he lives on a homestead and has a chicken coop—it’s not that weird, we promise) to test the device’s effectiveness against real-life, disgusting circumstances.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>Says Doug: “As gross as it was, as bad as it smelled, and as little as I wanted to go near it, I thought: ‘If the Garbage Guard can handle this … it can handle anything.’”</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:700">And? It worked→</a></p><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="css-1ux4czy" style="padding-bottom:15px"></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdcdc; padding-bottom:15px"></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span style="font-style:italic">We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. </span><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline; font-style:italic">Learn more ›</a><br><br></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0; font-size:0; border-top:2px solid #000"><h1 style="color:#000; font:700 32px/36px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0 0 12.5px 0; letter-spacing:-.9px"><span>More epic tales of testing</span></h1></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:15px"></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0; padding-bottom:30px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td class="css-w9msz2" valign="top" style="vertical-align:top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="120" align="right"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="vertical-align:top; padding:0 0 0 20px"><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-dishwasher-testing/wcd-pic-dishwasher-testing-moth.jpg" alt="Four white plates, smeared with different foods and sauces, sitting in a dishwasher." class="css-1oqy46o" width="120" style="display:block; width:120px"></a></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><h3 class="css-1h3m7z8" style="color:#000; margin:0; padding:0 0 7px; font:700 20px/25px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif">We smeared hundreds of dishes with peanut butter, egg yolk, red sauce, and lipstick</h3><p style="color:#333; font:17px/22.5px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0">All in pursuit of the best dishwasher.</p></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0; padding-bottom:30px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td class="css-w9msz2" valign="top" style="vertical-align:top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="120" align="right"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="vertical-align:top; padding:0 0 0 20px"><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-stain-resistant-shirts/wcd-pic-stain-resistant-shirts-moth.jpg" alt="Three shirts with stains on them hanging from a clothing rack." class="css-1oqy46o" width="120" style="display:block; width:120px"></a></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><h3 class="css-1h3m7z8" style="color:#000; margin:0; padding:0 0 7px; font:700 20px/25px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif">We doused ourselves in sriracha and red wine</h3><p style="color:#333; font:17px/22.5px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0">Surprisingly, these stain-resistant shirts repelled (nearly) everything we threw at them.</p></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0; padding-bottom:30px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td class="css-w9msz2" valign="top" style="vertical-align:top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="120" align="right"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="vertical-align:top; padding:0 0 0 20px"><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-duffel-bag/wcd-pic-duffel-bag-moth.jpg" alt="A person carrying the Yeti Panga 50 duffle bag on their back. The bag is structured in a cylindrical tube shape." class="css-1oqy46o" width="120" style="display:block; width:120px"></a></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="#" style="text-decoration:none; display:block"><h3 class="css-1h3m7z8" style="color:#000; margin:0; padding:0 0 7px; font:700 20px/25px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif">We dunked a duffle bag into the waters of Hawaii</h3><p style="color:#333; font:17px/22.5px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0">It kept the towels, clothes, and sneakers inside bone-dry.</p></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="height:15px"></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0; font-size:0; border-top:2px solid #000"><h1 style="color:#000; font:700 32px/36px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0 0 12.5px 0; letter-spacing:-.9px"><span>Plus: Why Wirecutter tests the same products for years on end</span></h1></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td><a href="#"><img width="600" height="300" class="css-1jxjpzi" src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-why-wirecutter-tests-for-years/wcd-pic-why-wirecutter-tests-for-years-jumbo.jpg" alt="Side by side illustrations of a person drinking from the same reusable water bottle as a young person and as old one." style="width:100%; height:auto; display:block; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:5px"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="css-dz4dhe" width="100%" align="right" style="text-align:right; width:100%; padding-bottom:10px; line-height:14px"><span style="margin:0; font:11px/11px Helvetica,'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; color:#888; letter-spacing:.01em">Illustration: Dana Davis</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>Longtime Wirecutter readers have likely noticed: Some of our picks stay the same for years. And that’s not because we’ve forgotten about the guide. It’s because the product has continually stood the test of time and beat out its competitors. That’s something we can only know by living with a pick for an extended period of time to gain real-world insight about how it holds up.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>Think of it like this: We perform rigorous testing to make recommendations in the first place. Then, our long-term testing helps us decide whether a product </span><span style="font-style:italic">remains</span><span> worthy of our recommendation.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:700">More on how we test→</a><br><br></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0; font-size:0; border-top:2px solid #000"><h1 style="color:#000; font:700 32px/36px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; margin:0 0 12.5px 0; letter-spacing:-.9px"><span>One last thing: 5 cheap(ish) things to keep your bedroom cool</span></h1></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"><tbody><tr><td><a href="#"><img width="600" height="400" class="css-1jxjpzi" src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/10/smarter-living/wcd-pic-cheapish-things-bedroom-cool/wcd-pic-cheapish-things-bedroom-cool-jumbo.jpg" alt="The Dreo Fox One resting on the floor facing the left." style="width:100%; height:auto; display:block; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:5px"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="css-dz4dhe" width="100%" align="right" style="text-align:right; width:100%; padding-bottom:10px; line-height:14px"><span style="margin:0; font:11px/11px Helvetica,'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; color:#888; letter-spacing:.01em">Photo: Michael Hession</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span>Don’t settle for a summer of tossing and turning in the sweaty heat. These five cheap(ish) things—including inexpensive blackout shades and summer-friendly bedding—should help keep your room cool on even the hottest nights.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:700">Oh so breezy→</a></p><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="css-1ux4czy" style="padding-bottom:15px"></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdcdc; padding-bottom:15px"></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span style="font-style:italic">Thanks for reading.</span></p><p style="font:400 16px/24px Helvetica,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,sans-serif; color:#333; margin:0 0 15px"><span style="font-style:italic">You can reach the Wirecutter newsletters team at </span><a href="#" class="css-sdwaa1" style="color:#286ed0; text-decoration:underline; font-style:italic">contact@example.com</a><span style="font-style:italic">. 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