I tested the Mosquito TNT in my Pennsylvania yard and have concluded that they do not control mosquitoes. Moreover, they kill a considerable number of non-target organisms, including pollinators, and provide an ideal habitat for fly larvae that feed on the decaying carcasses of previous victims. My full review is below. I also include tips on getting your money back when the company refuses to honor its 100% guarantee.
Marketing claims
The company says the four-trap kit ($39.99 plus tax) will make a 1-acre yard “mosquito-free” for 30 days. At the end of this period you dump out the contents and add fresh bait (sold separately for $19.99).
Marketing materials assert that female mosquitoes are attracted to the containers because they emit carbon dioxide, which is produced by two pairs of “inert” ingredients (yeast and D-glucose; sodium bicarbonate and citric acid). The active ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate is there to facilitate drowning.
Note that in reality the device does not produce enough CO2 to attract mosquitoes. And the active ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate, is not listed anywhere in the primary literature as a chemical that can kill adult mosquitoes.
My test results
I took photographs of the four traps every several days as a way to record what types of insects were being killed. By far the most common were flies (fruit flies, blow flies, picture-winged flies, etc.), wasps (yellowjackets and hornets), earwigs, and beetles. Initially they were attracted by the sugar and yeast, but eventually the rotting carcasses attracted species that feed on decaying organic matter. Some of these latter individuals laid eggs, resulting in rather large white larvae moving around in the fluid. After about 20 days the stench was enough to make me gag whenever I got close. At no point during my inspections did I notice a single mosquito.
Below are photographs of the other three Mosquito TNTs. Like the trap above, these did not kill any mosquitoes. One had trapped two bumblebees. Although these seemed to attract fewer insects, all contained living fly larvae.
Containers are filled with living larvae
After several weeks, the fluid was teaming with larvae of humpbacked flies (Phoridae). Here’s a photograph followed by a video.
I wasn’t able to rear any of the above to adulthood but did succeed for a different species, below, which I’ve tentatively identified as Coboldia fuscipes, a type of minute scavenger fly (Scatopsidae).
Ads are misleading
Many of Tougher Than Tom’s ads assert that the dead insects inside the traps are mosquitoes, even though the insects appear to be fruit flies, bottle flies, and wasps. I.e., the company uses gaslighting to convince people that traps work even though it is very apparent they do not.
Another tactic is to show images that have been Photoshopped to falsely convey high efficacy. For example, the image below has mosquitoes that were copied from a photograph taken in Germany by Steffen Kugler. It’s unclear whether Tougher Than Tom has legally licensed that photograph.
Tougher Than Tom also uses “user-generated content” (UGC) to push the Mosquito TNT on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Users seem to be following a script that frequently includes how safe the ingredients are, how yards become “mosquito-free,” and how traps eliminate worries over mosquito-borne diseases (all claims that violate FIFRA). None shows mosquitoes inside the Mosquito TNT. The UGCs rarely disclose a financial relationship with the company even though that is required by the FTC.
Sale-price fraud
Tougher Than Tom also deceives users about the price of the Mosquito TNT by using strike-through pricing, showing the “sale” price relative to a putative regular price that is there just to make you think you’re getting a deal. And the deal is “always just about to expire so act now!” Strike-through pricing is illegal at the federal and state level. If there’s an attorney out there looking for a super-easy class-action to file, this would be it. For reference, Tougher Than Tom obtains these containers for approximately $0.69 apiece. That should give you a sense of how much money the owner has likely made over the years.
Where can the Mosquito TNT be sold?
To the best of my knowledge, the following 12 states prohibit sales of the Mosquito TNT: California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (my state!), Rhode Island, Washington, and West Virginia. Some have denied an application (they will not reveal reasons to me) but at least one is because company withdrew its application, likely because state requested efficacy data.
The following states likely allow the Mosquito TNT to be sold: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia (NA), Hawaii (NA), Idaho, Illinois (NA), Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts (NA), Michigan, Minnesota (NA), Mississippi, Missouri (NA), Nebraska (NA), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (NA), North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas (NA), Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, D.C., and Puerto Rico. States with “NA” (not applicable) do not require registration of Minimum Risk (25b) pesticides as long as they conform to EPA requirements (e.g., can’t make health claims, can’t make false statements, can’t make misleading statements). Such states merely require the company to assert its product is in compliance (i.e., nobody confirms that requirements are met).
Curiously, Tougher Than Tom’s website indicates that sales are prohibited in only New Mexico and Tennessee, indicating that the company is not paying close attention to where the device may legally be shipped or doesn’t care (or both). My guess is that they regularly ship the product to states that have denied a registration.
How to get a refund
Tougher Than Tom has clear and generous return language (“100% guaranteed,” “hassle-free refunds,” “30-day money-back guarantee,” “order with confidence knowing you have Tom’s handshake guarantee,” “If Tom’s products don’t work for you, you get your money back!“) that is even highlighted by a graphic. But as you have probably already learned, the company will ignore refund requests. For those who persisted, Tougher Than Tom support will inform you that traps need to be mailed back at customer’s expense and that traps need to be unused, which seems like straight fraud to me. To get around these tactics, I recommend:
- Sending an email directly to the owner, Zachary Snyder Collins (zach@simplystrive.com), politely asking for a refund. This bypasses the bots and the purposefully non-responsive help desk based in Romania. You can CC info@simplystrive.com.
- Posting a review on Trustpilot. Quote the specific wording about guarantee(s) as well as your order number. The company seems to monitor this site closely and will often try to appease consumers in an effort to maintain a good standing on the review site. Note that Tougher Than Tom often tries to get negative reviews taken down by flagging them for “harmful or illegal content” (LOL), so contact Trustpilot and report that, too.
- Filing a complaint with your State Attorney General. You can learn about this option by conducting an internet search for “file complaint with attorney general [insert your state]”. The office will then contact the owner of Tougher Than Tom on your behalf, using legal language that may get the company’s attention.
How to file a state or federal complaint
If you’d like to help protect other consumers (and you should), you can report the company for making false or misleading claims. You can also report when Tougher Than Tom ships the device to one of the 11 states that bans it (see full list above).
To locate the person in charge of pesticide registration and enforcement in your state, click on this map. These people have the power to revisit a product’s registration status as well as levy fines against the company for shipping to the state without a registration. In your email, provide details of what your traps have captured and attach photographs if possible.
You can also report the company to the EPA and the FTC. For these communications it is helpful to attach screenshots of the marketing materials that led you to believe that the product eliminated (completely got rid of) mosquitoes. If you noticed zero mosquitoes inside your traps, mention that, too. And take pics of contents.
If you would like to get a better sense of the company’s past legal troubles I would highly recommend reading the consent agreement reached with the EPA in 2025 that resulted in a $80,800 penalty payment. That’s likely a very small fraction of the profits made by the owner each year.
Here’s the company contact information to share in your report:
Tougher Than Tom
c/o Scan Mailboxes Solutions
2028 E Ben White Blvd, Suite 240-1328, Austin, TX 78741
(413) 400-0067
Further information
- The official company name is “Simply Strive.” Per Zoominfo it is headquartered at 1414 Shore District Dr, Apt 3320, Austin, Texas 78741, a 10-min drive from the above mailing address located inside Scan Mailboxes Solutions. To the best of my knowledge the company has no research or testing facilities.
- The containers are sold as wasp traps by Xiamen Consolidates Manufacture and Trading Company, a Chinese firm specializing in pests. The traps are shipped on container ships to various ports in California and Washington and then driven to a warehouse in Ohio where orders are fulfilled.
- The owner of Tougher Than Tom likely got into the mosquito-control business from fellow Austin resident Nick Olnyk, founder of Grandpa Gus, a company that had an identical product lineup before being sold a few years ago. I think Collins copied the “folksy, honest grandpa” marketing schtick from Grandpa Gus.
- I think the owner used to be married to Brandi Dugal, the inventor of the Fidget Game for teaching reading (see Shark Tank appearance).
Other reviews
- Mandy M. (YouTube)
- Cassie (TikTok)
- Bonnie McConnell (Facebook)
- Trudy Harlow (Facebook)
- Tougher Than Tom Mosquito TNT users (Facebook group)
Contact
If you have a question, information you think I should provide, or find errors, send me an email.