This antique object is a vintage flea catcher (also called a flea pan or insect destroyer).
Popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, people would heat the copper base (sometimes with hot coals or embers inside) and place it on the floor or bed. Fleas and other small insects would jump toward the warmth and fall through the holes onto the hot metal, where they were destroyed.
It was a common household item before modern insecticides existed. The long wooden handle made it easy to move around without burning your hands.
Today these are mostly collector’s items, but they’re a fascinating glimpse into how people solved everyday problems in the past.
