IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY ISN’T TRUE

You see these ultrasonic devices being hawked on the TV claim to “eliminate pests safely” and will get rid of rats in your home. Problem is that all university researchers that have studied this approach to pest control and rodent control have found they just don’t work! In fact back in 1980 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought charges against many of the companies that were selling these items with false and misleading advertising. In Texas the Attorney General started enforcing a permanent injunction against the manufacturers of these devices due to inaccurate claims.

These devices are being sold for as little as $7.00 to as much as $700.00. The cheap ones didn’t work nor did the most expensive work.

Here are some comments from researchers and what they found:

1. “One of those active in this area is Dr. Roger Gold, professor of entomology at Texas A&M University. Some of his comments from reports published in trade journals or personal comments made at educational seminars include these:

“Based on the research results it appears that sonic and ultrasonic sound is ineffective to control or repel German Cockroaches.”

2. “Dr. Michael Dreydon conducts flea research in the State of Florida. He talked about “the efficacy of ultrasonic flea collars that claim to repel fleas from any pet that wears the collar’. His found that in his research and the research of a dozen studies worldwide, prove that these devices do absolutely nothing in affecting the population of fleas on an animal. Dr. Dreydon states,” those fleas and all other insects are incapable of even hearing ultrasonic sound, and therefore no effect would be the expected result”. A problem he did find was pets could hear the ultrasonic sound coming from next to its ear and behavioral disorders began to show up in the dogs. Dr. Dreydon made another observation that he felt was curious. He found that the pet owners were over joyed with the results of these ultrasound devices even though he and his staff counted just as many fleas on their pets after these devises were put on as there was before they stated using them. He contributed that to an “ interesting placebo effect”.

3. Dr Mogens Lund, a Danish Pest Infestation researcher says,”

“…ultrasonics are in no way a solution to a rodent problem” – “In no case has the effect on rats been of practical importance” (following testing of 11 different devices that produce sounds in different ways) – “our negative attitude is based not only on information from experts in many other countries, but primarily on our own investigations”
Dr. Michael Rust, Univ. Calif. At Riverside, Dept. of Entomology:

“There is nothing in the way of behavioral or biological response that has any meaning” for these devices use in rat control.

L. O. Nelson – Office of the State Chemist, Purdue University, Indiana:
“The best advice regarding ultrasonic devices is to let the buyer beware. Ultrasonic devices have never been shown to control rats and mice by themselves or control insects.”
The Federal Trade Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have a great concern that claims about these devices have been made “with no verifiable data to back them up”. In Indiana the state made 44 manufacturers of these devices submit data to support their claims, and only got 5 of the 44 to respond. When they reviewed the data from the 5 manufacturers they found” no evidence that would support the claims these devices could eliminate rodents or insects from any buildings which are claimed on the products labels”’.

Bottom lines, what can you expect from these types of rodent control or pest control devices? NOTHING!

Some manufacturers agree that the device cannot eliminate the pest by itself, but perhaps can irritate it enough to move it around where it may contact the other pest control measures, such as pesticides. Some manufacturers suggest it might make rodents move out long enough that you can seal up the holes and cracks they used for entry, and keep them out. This has long been a guideline set down by the professional pest control industry – removal and exclusion – and is hardly something new.

University researchers are also concerned that, since there have been no proper and independent studies on the use of such devices, there also has been no research to test the long-term implications to the health of pets or people exposed to the constant (if there even are any) ultrasonic sound waves being emitted. As Dr. Dreydon in Florida reported, pets do seem to be exhibiting problems.

So, it is really tempting. All you have to do is plug in a box and all of the animals you don’t want around in your house or yard will simply go away, and, magically, all the animals you do want around (your cat, your dog, your parakeet, the ladybugs outside) are unaffected by it. Somehow the ultrasonic device can distinguish between the desirable animals and the vermin.

However, the bottom line appears to be that such Ultrasonic Sound Wave transmitters will do zero to affect any insects you don’t like, and at best will temporarily irritate any birds or rodents, who quickly get used to the new sound and begin to ignore it.

I would suggest you not fall for the advertising claims at this time.

Wheeler’s Pest Control Orange County