Electronic repellent devices claim to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away.
According to Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, Americans spend billions of dollars in products that prevent mosquito bites. Electronic insect repellents claim to keep nuisance insects away by releasing certain sounds. Does this Spark an idea?
History
According to Colorado State University Extension, electronic insect repellent devices first entered the market in the 1970s. Such devices emit sonic or ultrasonic sounds that insects avoid.
Mechanism
Because only fertilized female mosquitoes need blood meals, some electronic repellent manufacturers say that they would avoid further contact with male mosquitoes. As such, sonic repellents imitate the sound that male mosquitoes make when flying. Other sonic and ultrasonic devices mimic the sounds made by natural enemies of the target insects, for example dragonflies or bats.
Efficacy
According to Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, most electronic insect repellent devices on the market use a single frequency. Controlled experiments generally find them to be ineffective.
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