By Island County Extension Agent, Donald B. Meehan
ELECTRONIC PEST REPELLERS
Each year I get a few calls about the value of electronic pest repellers. Perhaps Santa brought you one for Christmas this year. They come with lots of different names. Some are claimed to be electromagnetic and some ultrasonic. The ultrasonic version is most recent.
Manufacturers of these devices claim many things about them. They are supposed to rid people of rats, mice, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and a multitude of other general insects found around the home. They range in price from about $20 to $100.
The concept is great. We are all looking for that hassle-free, environmentally-safe method which will keep our surroundings safe from hazardous chemicals. At first glance, these devices seem to fill the bill.
I have followed the development of these devices for a few years. I was intrigued, like many of you, wanting a simple answer to a complex problem. With hope, I contacted our Extension Entomologist to see what his thoughts were regarding such pest control devices. I was also interested in discovering what research was presently being conducted or had been conducted on them.
He pointed out several colleges having done research and the results were quite discouraging. At the University of Nebraska and Texas A&M, tests showed no control of mosquito bites. In fact, the tests lead researchers there to believe that the device caused a greater number of bites than the control test.
Other government and University research on electronic pest controllers showed termites unaffected. Two field tests showed that termites had actually built runways on top of the devices. Other tests showed no affect on rodents or insects while they were eating, drinking or "just foolin around".
Some recent research done in Gainesville Florida at the Insects Affecting Man and Animal Research Laboratory on ultrasonic devices, again, confirms our belief that there is no basis for believing these devices work. By the way, their research was done at the request of the US Postal Service which had received numerous complaints about the devices.
If you are bugged with household bugs and want some answers on how best to control them, contact our office for a copy of WSU Cooperative Extension publication called "Household Insects and Their Control", available to you for a minimal fee.
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