Pest Management News From PPM - October, 2015

Check back here regularly for the latest news and updates from Protectant Pest Management

 

Do those electronic pest repellant devices work?


There are many advertisers on the market claiming they can rid your home of all pests simply by plugging in a small electrical device.

Sounds too good to be true. So is it? Do those devices work or not?

Electronic pest repellers claim that the ultrasonic sound waves they generate will drive pests away. They say that animals such as rodents, cockroaches and others pests cannot stand the high frequency sounds being generated by these devices so they will move on to the next house where the sounds can’t be heard. Extravagant, cure-all claims were made when these devices were first brought to market which caused them to become very popular in the U.S. around the time of the new millennium. The claims became so far-reaching, however, that the Federal Trade Commission got involved and sent a warning to manufacturers of ultrasonic pest control devices, demanding that claims of effectiveness had to be backed up by scientific research.

Some manufacturers now provide links to websites documenting their research methods and conclusions but when you look at the data the results are not as clear-cut as initially reported. Essentially, the overall message is that some of the devices showed some positive results on particular pest species which is hardly an effective method of dealing with all pests.

In the end, these devices are not a miracle cure for your pest problems, but if you are considering purchasing one here are some tips to consider:

 

1) Have Realistic Expectations: Even the successful research shown by ultrasonic pest control manufacturers only refers to percentage decreases in pest population, not complete elimination.

2) Expect Diminishing Returns: Pests such as rodents may become accustomed to the sound waves over time so results may only be temporary in nature.

3) Device Location: The sound waves from ultrasonic pest control devices have short ranges so they can easily be blocked by furniture and walls in your home.

4) Keep Trapping: When these devices do affect pests the sounds waves cause them to move about when normally they would not so employing traps at the same time will lead to positive results.

Here at PPM we believe the most effective way to rid your home of pests is to have a pest control plan initiated by one of our highly-trained technicians.

For more information on our pest control inspections please click here

 

pest-control-logo
pest-control-line