Is Untrasonic Electronic Pest Control, Effective?

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Is Untrasonic Electronic Pest Control, Effective?

Posted by Cliff on Monday May 19, 2003 @07:26PM from the she-deafened-me-with-science! dept.

tedgyz asks: "I have declared war on the pests in my house. I am tired of hearing the scurrying of mice and squirrels in my walls. Worse - I am tired of the nests littered with droppings buried in boxes in the attic. I have used standard traps, and although successful, it seems that new rodents or more than happy to replace the ones I've killed. Are ultrasonic deterrents effective?"

"I've searched the web, but I can only find marketing material from manufacturers and distributors. I'm looking for cold, hard facts.

Do ultrasonic deterrents really keep rodents out of your house?
What is the range?
Do they last, or do the rodents eventually return?
Are they truly innocuous to dogs and cats?
How do you measure success?"

6 of 129 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Short Answer: by ColaMan · 2003-05-19 19:59 · Score: 2, Interesting

Who knows? Probably not. I vaguely remember a Choice magazine article on them showing no statistically provable difference. Wait, maybe that was the EMP type ones.

Some of those ads are a bit worrying - "Drive pests away by creating a unbearable ultrasonic field plus an annoying EMP in your house wiring!"

I think that having anything in your house that causes discomfort to animals that are *still* genetically fairly close to humans is probably a bad thing. Doubly so for the EMP ones. After all, a lot of human trials start out on the humble lab rat.

I wouldn't be convinced until there was a long term and scientifically rigorous study on continuous exposure to humans (oh, and the pests you're trying to drive off too!).

--

You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.
The most effective solution by ralphclark · 2003-05-19 20:00 · Score: 3, Interesting

A couple of years ago I moved into a house in the country, which was full of mice. The previous occupants had laid down traps and poison, to no avail.

Shortly after moving in we got ourselves two kittens, just weaned. By the time they were six months old there were no more mice! Any new would-be immigrants get dealt with by the time they reach the garden. We are also free from rats, moles, voles, shrews and anything else that moves. Pretty much as you would expect!

The secret is not to overfeed them so they stay healthy, agile and a little bit hungry most of the time.

They're also very nice cats as it happens, very loyal, affectionate and playful. They're always goofing around and making us laugh. It feels like they're part of the family.
1. Re:The most effective solution by jht · 2003-05-20 03:27 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I've read (and I believe) that the behaviors you see in a cat "playing" with it's prey are simply instinctive behaviors. It's making sure the prey is dead after killing it by (ideally) breaking it's neck. It's not rage, it's simply hunting instinct. No "emotion" as we understand it really factors into it.
  
  When the cat brings you a dead critter? Well, that means the cat likes you, but not the way you think. basically, that's the cat's way of saying "I've tried to teach you how to hunt, you don't seem to get it, so if I bring you thins maybe you won't starve. But get off your duff and start killing your own food!"
  
  --
  -- Josh Turiel
  "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
Re:Low tech solution. by MImeKillEr · 2003-05-19 23:53 · Score: 2, Interesting

Actually, all the poster would need is the cat's urine. The smell of cat urine is enough to drive away most/all rodents.

Best of all, the poster wouldn't have to put up with said cat clawing furniture, said cat's hair covering everything, and said cat's litter box or vet bills.

Then again, I don't know of any way to get cat urine without actually owning a cat, so..

--
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
Re:I don't know what they do to insects. by dfreed · 2003-05-20 02:24 · Score: 2, Interesting

I to can hear these little boxes. Fortunately I do not suffer from pain when I am near them; rather I hear them as an annoying high-pitched whine.

Oh, and yes I am a homo-sapient.
Re:Does anyone know if the insect ones work? by garysears · 2003-05-20 05:44 · Score: 2, Interesting

As reenactors, we're out in the summer most weekends. A Civil War doctor reenactor friend of mine swears by the lozenge-shaped mosquito repellers sold at Walgreens -- They're supposed to mimic the sound of dragon-fly's wingbeat noise. Last year, using this, he had remarkably few skeeter bites. He DID, however, have some lonely dragon flies around his tent occasionally...