The Truth About Ultrasonic Pest Repellers
In our business, we’ve seen every type of pest control fad come and go. In the last 60 years, there have been significant improvements to pest control. From safer chemicals, to more humane animal traps, pest control has come a long way. But, there remains a stigma about spraying chemicals outside and inside the home. That’s why people sometimes seek out natural alternatives.
One of the biggest recent scams that prey on those people is ultrasonic pest repellers. Do a simple search for them on Google or Amazon, and you’ll find hundreds of variations on ultrasonic pest repellers you can buy, most for under $20. Sounds like a great deal, right? Sometimes, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
What Do Ultrasonic Pest Repellers Claim to do?
The manufacturers of ultrasonic pest repellers claim that they’ve found a safe, effective way to keep pests out of your home. They claim that by placing these devices throughout the homes, pests will pick up on the ultrasonic vibrations that are given off, and avoid your home like the plague, moving onto other homes not protected. The sounds are too high for human ears, but pests can pick up on them with ease. (Don’t worry, so they say, your pets won’t pick up on them either). Some are battery powered, some you have to plug in.
What do Ultrasonic Pest Repellers Actually do?
Nothing.
Easy for you to Say! You’re a Pest Control Company!
Sure, it’s easy for us to tell you that these things are a waste of money. Fortunately, there are numerous independent studies that have been done that all say the same thing: Ultrasonic vibrations don’t keep pests away.
In 1983, a study was done to see what effect these ultrasonic waves had on German cockroaches. The cockroaches were given options of two different boxes, both with plenty of food and water. One box was normal, the other had a speaker with ultrasonic sounds. After testing seven different frequencies, the study found that cockroaches did not avoid either box, at any point.
13 additional studies have been done since the first study on cockroaches in 1983. Scientists have studied insects like mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas, ticks, as well as rodents and mammals. None of the studies have shown that ultrasonic sounds emitted from any device will keep any pests out of your home.
Researchers at the University of Arizona were fascinated by studies that found that these ultrasonic vibrations do work. So they examined each individual study backing these claims. The consensus from each study was that ultrasonic pest repellers have little to no impact on pest activity.
The Federal Trade Commission has even come out against these claims. The FTC has also found that most claims made by manufacturers of ultrasonic pest repellers are not backed by science in any way, shape, or form. Some, even those advertised on late night TV, even go against FTC guidelines.
What Are my Other Options?
The best way to keep pests at bay is to contact your local pest control company. If you are concerned about what chemicals a pest control company will use, express those concerns at your initial consultation. Although the chemicals that we use to treat your home are 100% safe for you, children and pets, there are other natural alternatives that you can discuss with your pest control professional.
