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Ultrasonic Pest Control: Does it Work?

Mayuri Kulkarni
Ultrasonic pest control is one of the most popular methods of getting rid of rodents, insects, birds, and other unwanted creatures from homes and properties. In spite of their growing popularity, their effectiveness remains questionable. Here, we shall find out if this method really works.
Ultrasonic pest control uses a very simple theory of ultrasonic waves for controlling pests. They are environment friendly and do not create any mess during the process. These are always preferred over mouse traps and poison methods that are used to get rid of rodents.
All you have to do is just plug in the ultrasonic device into an electric socket. Some of the devices are portable and you can carry them wherever you travel.

How Does it Work?

As the name suggests, ultrasonic pest control is nothing but the use of devices that emit ultrasonic waves. These waves are high frequency waves which are not audible to human ears. But, they can be heard by rodents and insects.
This high frequency noise is not tolerable to rodents, and hence, irritates them and further repels them. Thus, they move away from the noise, and thereby, you get rid of them. As mentioned earlier, for using this pest control method, you need to plug in the device.
Else, if you are going for camping or trekking, you can use ultrasonic devices that run on batteries. These devices are available with different frequency ranges, and you can get one depending upon the pest which you want to get rid of. They are inexpensive, and hence, you need not spend a lot of money for pest control.

Is it Really Effective?

Placing the ultrasonic pest repeller in the right position is a very important step, because they are ineffective when any solid object comes in between the device and the rodent. Thus, one should place the device where the rodents are actually situated, like tunnels or holes.
Many researches have found that even when the device is placed next to the cage of the rodent, the rodent did not seem to be disturbed by the waves at all. Some say that the effect is temporary, and the rodents get back to the original place after some days. This is because, after a certain level, the rodents get used to the noise and can easily tolerate it.
One more disadvantage of these products is that they work only for specific ranges. Thus, if the pest is situated outside the range, the repeller will be ineffective. Moreover, the sound produced by these devices can disturb your pets, and cause them emotional distress and behavioral problems.
Even electronic devices are sensitive to these ultrasonic waves, and any interference can cause improper functioning of devices like hearing aids, cordless phones, security systems, etc. In the 1980s, many of the manufacturers had to refund all the money back to their customers due to ineffective results.
Make sure you buy the one that guarantees to return your money if the device turns out to be ineffective. When you use this method for the first time, you may find it effective initially, but the result may not last for a long time.