Electronic pest repellers
use high-pitched sounds and vibrations to get rid of pests (such as insects, rodents and reptiles) in your home or office. They emit multiple ultrasonic and sonic signal patterns intended to disrupt pests' abilities to communicate, which impacts their feeding habits and causes them to flee. Plug the repellers into the wall and place them in an area where pest infestation is suspected. Although manufacturers claim that this is a safe method for removing unwanted pests, limited scientific evidence is available to support their claims and certain hazards have been reported. Does this Spark an idea?
Bothers Household Pets
Scientists who have conducted laboratory and field tests on pest management measures, including electronic pest repellers, found that pests hear the same frequencies and feel the same vibrations as humans and household pets, states Leonard R. Askham, author of "Ultrasonic and Subsonic Pest Control Devices." For this reason, a device that produces sounds and vibrations meant to force out rodents can also impact household pets, especially hamsters and gerbils of the same rodent family. Conversely, if humans cannot detect the sounds or vibrations generated made by the electronic pest repeller, then it's likely that pests also cannot hear it.
Pests Persist
Sounds and vibrations discharged from most electronic pest repellers have limited signal strength. Askham states that about half of the signal strength is diminished at about 15 feet from the device, and at 30 feet no sound is heard or vibration felt. In addition, when an object obstructs the signal's path, it produces a shadow that nearly blocks the signal entirely. Pests seeking refuge behind furniture therefore may be unaffected by the signal.
Lack of Research
According to the report "Electronic Rodent Repellent Devices: A Review of Efficacy Test Protocols and Regulatory Actions" published by the University of Nebraska in 1995, few electronic pest repeller studies have been performed in the 30 years since products have been commercially available. However, the report claims that pest-control methods do not seem to present significant health or safety hazards to the public. When buying electronic pest repellers, the report's author suggests, weigh the costs and labor of using an electronic pest repeller with other conventional control methods, such as baiting, trapping and chemical applications, because electronic pest repellers have an effectiveness rate of about 30 to 50 percent.
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