Electronic pest repellents - how do they work?

[Mike S.]

Does anyone know how those electronic pest repellents are supposed to work? My grandparents have two different ones at their house to repel ants. The one in the kitchen certainly doesn't do a thing to repel the ants but it sure makes me want to leave. That thing keeps making annoying, sort of high-pitched sounds. No one else hears it except for me. I'm wondering if it's making a frequency that only people under 30 can hear. I ended up having to unplug it because it was so annoying and everyone thought I was crazy. So it makes me wonder how those things are supposed to keep bugs away. I didn't think people were supposed to be able to hear them.

[Andy]

Andy comments: Well, if you had ants in the kitchen and the buzzing made YOU leave the kitchen and go into another room, you weren't around the ants anymore....

That's the only explanation I can come up with to support the product.

I haven't found anyone supporting the product other than the people who manufacture them and the people who sell them....

Around here we have scorpions who come into the house and eat all the ants and crickets. NOTHING repels scorpions...... You just gotta learn to live in your environment... :>))))

Andy in Eureka, Texas

[ransley]

They work they keep you away, just kidding. The bugs and mice get used to them in about 5 minutes. In my opinion they are a scam and waste of electricity and money.

[Frank]

Dittos. Waste of electricity and money.

[gpsman]

By attracting money from bank account A to bank account B.

They are, without exception, completely worthless for their advertised purpose/s.

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- gpsman

[Ralph Mowery]

They send out sound at frequencies that are suppose to be above the range of human hearing. As people age usually the hearing range decreases. It tops out around 20,000 Hz for most young people. Some can hear higher and you may be one of them. The older CRT TV sets put out a very high pitch sound. Can you hear it ? It is around 15,700 hz. The crt computer monitors are about double that at 31,500 . Unlikely anyone will hear that. Dogs can hear higher frequencies and that is how the silent dog whistles work. Other animals can hear higher frequencies yet. They are suppose to make enough noise to make the animals leave the area just as loud noise would make you want to leave. There are portable units you hook on your belt to keep the mosquitoes away. Not sure about them,but I have not seen the mice stay away.

[Jim Elbrecht]

Send the doubters here-

folks are selling security systems based on frequencies only young folks can hear.

Jim [on the critter chasers, my parents swear by theirs. I've tried one for mosquitoes and don't think it made a difference]

[Phisherman]

They don't work. Use boric acid for ant control.

[Phisherman]

No need to buy the pest repellents--playing Jimi Hendrix CDs will work as well.

[Chuck]

About 15 years ago a local inventor came out with a mosquito chaser that made a buzzing sound that was supposed to sound like a dragon fly. Apparently dragon flies eat a lot of mosquitoes. Didn't work but he made about $50 off me and my fishing buddies.

[dpb]

Jim Elbrecht wrote: ...

Yeah, and I've not seen any elephants since, either...

[SteveB]

As to repelling insects, they do not work.

As to separating suckers from their money, they do work.

HTH

Steve

[SteveB]

I'm surprised young folks can hear their own farts.

Funny. My old man said the same thing to me. (I'm 60.)

Steve