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PEST CONTROL CANADA
Electronic
Pest Devices
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Other Question and Answer Pages: |
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Note: The volume of questions is much greater than we are able to
post on this page.
We have selected questions that we feel are of interest to most of our web
site visitors.
| Electronic Pest Devices |
Question #122*
Do any of these electronic pest control
devices work to rid household pests i.e. mice, bugs, insects by
omitting waves through your household wiring. Hildegard.
St. Catharines, Ontario |
Webmanager's
comment: Is there anyone, anywhere that has had any good results
using one of these devices? If so please let us know.
This question has been asked a number of times and we have never
had any favorable comments from a pest management professional. If
you read the fine print on the packaging it usually states "this
product is effective when used in conjunction with normal pest
control procedures." Until someone proves it to me otherwise, I
will consider these devices a scam that should be declared
illegal. I would definitely not accept any advertising from one of
the manufacturers on this web site. Read some of the
comments from others on
this page. |
Please would the "experts"
here take the time to learn the difference between a sonic pest
controller, and one that disrupts the frequency in your home wiring.
These two types of device work very differently, yet information about
one is being used to answer questions about the other.
I have been using the xxxxxxxxxxxx brand as well as one of the other
people who have answered this question, and it is fantastic! This old
house had many rodents when we bought it, two years ago and after only 2
weeks of using xxxxxxxxxxxx, there was never another rat or mouse until
just this week. The drawback to these units being only that they wear
out after about 2 years. At that time the light stops working so you
know its time for a replacement. I found this website while looking for
somewhere online to purchase a replacement. Please don't trash all
electronic devices, they are not all the same. Corinne,
Newfoundland.
Thank you Corrine for your input.
We do understand there is quite a difference between ultrasonic other
types of electronic pest devices, but we still feel that neither is an
effective way to control pests. It is not uncommon to find large rodent
populations in vacant buildings and for most or all of the rodents to
leave when the building is re-occupied, especially if no new food source
is introduced. The lights in these devices are no different than the
lights in many other electrical devices. They burn out. This
does not mean the device is worn out. The light is only there to
make you think the device is controlling pests. It will probably
become increasingly more difficult to buy these devices as regulatory
authorities take action on the false advertising claims. Until we see
scientific evidence from an unbiased reliable source (a university
study) showing the efficacy of these devices, this web site will not
endorse their use. We invite anyone to send us such information.
If they were effective, every pest management professional in the
industry would be selling and installing them. Most professionals rely
on the opinion of rodentologists like the world renowned Dr. Bobby
Corrigan who have nothing good to say about the effectiveness of these
devices. It's your money. Waste it as you please.
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According the USA Federal Trade
Commission, these devices do not work as claimed: J.F.
According to the FTC's complaint, "the respondents do not have a
reasonable basis for claims that ultrasound will eliminate or repel
pests, including rodents and many insects, from a user's home. The
complaint charges as false the respondents' claims that some [product
name deleted] devices drive away pests by altering the electromagnetic
field of home wiring. .... the respondents have no basis for their
claims that particular devices repel or eliminate pests in a space of a
certain size (e.g., 2500 square feet) or that other products repel deer,
raccoons, skunks, or similar animals from a yard." |
| I am normally very careful
of gadgets but the cleaning firm we use to clean our office swore that
the ultrasonic bug chaser really worked. We have had it for three
months, plus and there has been no difference whatsoever. We live in
northern Ohio and have a real problem with centipedes. We have no
basement. We brought them with us when moving from an apartment with a
damp basement. We spray once a month but they are still a problem.
Embarrassed in Ohio. |
I really wish there was a way to let people
know the extent of the SCAM of these products. First, there is a distinction
between ultrasonic devices, and those so-called electromagnetic devices (the
ones that are plugged into a wall and supposedly use the wiring of the house
to repel pests). Rodent ultrasonic devices do have a real effect, but
unfortunately, they are often promoted as the "be-all and end-all to solve
problems". Added to this some manufacturers also promote them as a useful
device to repel lots of other pests. I have never seen any evidence yet in
the scientific or trade literature that would suggest that they work on
other things at all. As for mice or other rodents, the simple truth is that
the cost of these devices is better spent on mechanical devices for control
such as snap traps, and on sealing up points of entry. The real problem with
the ultrasonics is that the manufacturer who makes them and the retailers
who sell them (even some very well known multi-billion dollar corporations)
are protected by the "fine print of details" on the package which usually
lets them off the hook. At best, the larger corporations such as Home Depot
will just give you your money back as it is a very tiny part of their
market. I actually went to a considerable trouble to communicate the reality
of ultrasonics to Home Depot with respect to claims of efficacy I saw in a
particular store where they offered a choice between messy traps and baits
and this total solution. While they were polite, it took some persistence to
speak to someone in charge, and even at that, they fell back on the fact
that it was a minor miniscule part of their market, and they would handle
any complaints. As for the other type of device, there is no reliable
evidence to suggest that these do anything at all. Those are a total
complete rip-off. These devices appeal to the person who is looking for an
easy solution that doesn't require any real effort other than throwing away
their hard earned cash. The appeal of something like that is wonderful, but
the truth is that these devices do nothing at all. At end, it is "BUYER
BEWARE". Sad really that it is hard to find true integrity in the
marketplace, but it is out there. It just takes an informed buyer.
Sam Bryks
Manager, Pest Control TCHC (Toronto Community Housing Corporation) |
| We use to get about 6-10 mice a year in our
house !We have been using pest offence for the past 6 or 7 months and we
have had only 1 !! Don't know if it is because of the device or the warm
climate .We'll see over the winter what happens. I will keep you posted as
to the outcome. David. Rexdale, Ontario |
| We have placed several Ultrasonic Pest
Repleers around our house. And I am amazed that we haven't seen or caught
a single mouse for about 3 months. Previous to this it was typical to
catch 1 - 2 mice per week in spring traps. We have tried to find and plug
all openings, but they were still coming in.Bill.
Eau Claire Wisconsin |
I work for an electric co-op in Montana
and I researched these "ultrasonic pest repellers" with help from our
state department of health as a possible service to our customers. there
are no double blind, scientific studies available for these devices. you
can only find anecdotal "evidence". All of them are a scam. It's a shame
to see respected businesses manufacturing them. The phrase let the buyer
beware couldn't be more appropriate.
Buzz A., Corvallis, MT |
Question # 17
Have you or
anyone you know tested the product called Pest Offence. Just wondering
what you know about it. David |
This question is similar to question 4.
Check the response. I find it difficult to believe the statement made in
the ad: "It will drive the pests out of the
walls, where they nest and breed. It works by creating an intermittent
signal in the electrical field around the wiring of your home. The
signal creates an irritating environment that affects rats, mice, and
roaches." If these devices work that
well (there are many others) every pest control business in the country
would be selling them. I have never seen one of these devices
displayed at a professional pest control conference and have not heard
any entomologist or rodentologist make any favorable comments about
these devices.
I once found a carpenter ant nest 8 inches above one. Perhaps they liked
the heat it generated. Larry. www.nobugs.ca |
Question
#4
Do
electronic devices like "Pest Offence" really work? Have
there been any consumer studies on these products?
I'd appreciate your help.
Lee B. |
There is very little evidence to suggest
that these devices are effective deterrents. Over time, the target pests
can become acclimatized to these sounds, and in fact, when associated
with a food source, they can elicit a pavlovian effect -- actually
attracting the pests.
Jamie K.,
North Shore Pest Detective, Vancouver |
| Not really a question but a comment. A lot
of people have been asking about the ( XX brand) devices. I reluctantly
tried them in my home and found that they did exactly what they claimed.
Within 48 hours the mice became very active during the day (which is
unusual because they are nocturnal by nature) After noticing this
increased activity, I used snap traps to rid myself of the mice. In 72
hours I had eliminated 11 mice. I have since stopped setting the traps,
and with the ( X brand) units still in the walls, I haven't seen any
traces of infestation in over 14 months. David B.,
Toronto. |
Question # 70
I live in a multi unit
dwelling and am having problems with silverfish. Do silverfish respond
to ultrasonic pest control devices? If so what frequency or type would
be the best? I do not want to use chemicals as we have cats that we do
not want to expose. Thanks. Aaron |
Most pest control professionals consider
Ultrasonic pest devices a total rip-off. Check the answers to questions
43, 17, 4. Silverfish are often found in homes with high humidity
levels.
Do your best to reduce the humidity by using bathroom fans, stove hood
vents and keeping some window slightly open. You
can read more about them on this web site: Canadian Pest Control, Vancouver
http://canadianpest.com/silverfish.htm
If other residents in the building have the same problem, ask them to
consider the same solutions, otherwise the silverfish will survive and
multiply in the common walls. |
Question # 43
We have been having a
problem with bats. One even got into the house, we have learned that our
neighbors have also had problems with them and are taking measures to
evict them. I however think that they will return by making new holes. I
have found an electronic pest control product on the American market
that you plug into the electrical outlet and it omits an electronic
interference to the pests. My question is do they work and where in
Canada if at all can you find them. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Bonny --------. |
| The best solution to bat problems is to
screen them out. In British Columbia bats are considered beneficial and
are a protected species. Read this short information sheet and check the
links on this page. BATS
It is not likely you will be able to buy an
electronic pest control device from a professional pest control
service business in Canada. |
A word to the wise about this whole group
of "miracle electronic pest repellers"...
none of these work..
they do nothing.. except make those who market them a bit richer.
Solving bat problems takes a professional who knows something about
bats. In Canada the two most common species in houses are ... the little
brown bat and the big brown bat.. Those are not merely ways of
describing them, those are the actual common names of these individual
species. The little brown bat does not stay in structures during winter.
They leave and overwinter in other locations. The big brown bat, as I
recall, does stay in structures. A bat specialist can learn which
species you have by checking the bat "scat"... or .. for if
you are lucky enough to get someone who really knows bats, they actually
measure the pitch of their ultrasonic squeaks... and identify them that
way.
If you live in an area where there are lots of mosquitoes you might even
consider installing a bat house on a tree nearby.. The bats do return to
the same location if it is little brown bats. You can prepare for their
return by having a professional learn where they are getting in, and
blocking this area.
There is an excellent resource for bats on the web.. it may even be on
this site. I can't remember the name at this second, but it may be
Tuttle... A small booklet that is available on the net and gives you a
truly complete perspective on getting bats out of your home. If it is
not on this site, I will post the actual location of the book on the web
for you.
Sam Bryks, Manager, Pest Control MTHC, Toronto.
email: sam.bryks@mthc.on.ca |
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Question #139
The (brand name omitted by webmanger)
ultrasonic rodent repeller applauds Canada's "strict registration process"
and displays its product's registration numbers of the "Pest Control
Products Act". Is their claim accurate and do you consider this product to
be an exception to your generally unethusiastic response to ultrasonic pest
control devices?
Tim. San Francisco. |
We can not condone or criticize the
registration process and standards used by Health Canada. If the product is
effective, many pest professionals would be installing them properly or
selling them to customers with rodent problems. I have never seen any
effort by the manufacturers of these devices to market them through obvious
knowledgeable outlets, pest control professionals. Why? I personally
have made numerous service calls for serious rodent problems where these
devices had been used and were not effective.
Modern technology has resulted in many changes in the industry but these
devices have not proven effective enough for a professional to use and risk
his reputation. |
| I provide monthly mouse
control services at a private house. The location is in the crawlspace.
The owner has an ultrasonic pest repeller device in the crawlspace,
pointed at the area where I have my snap traps maintained. The device is
always on, and about 6 feet away from the 10 or so traps I use, baited
with peanut butter. I always capture mice in this location. Obviously
the device is not effective. Some interesting notes to consider:
1. Packaging information of these devices may claim that "pests" are
repelled. If you consider something a pest but someone else does not
consider it a pest, will it be repelled by the device?
2. Ultrasonic sound waves decrease in intensity by the square of the
distance, the same as for light. Ultrasonic waves cannot penetrate
objects and leave a shadow of unprotected areas behind obstructions such
as posts, desks and boxes. Ultrasonic waves travel in a direct line form
the device and cannot go around corners. The ultrasonic waves cannot
penetrate walls. These are scientific facts. Given this information, How
can an ultrasonic device situated in a room repel rodents inside a wall?
How can an ultrasonic device situated in one room repel rodents in other
rooms?
3. Ultrasonic waves are waveforms related to sound waves, they are
just in a higher frequency which we cannot hear. I have been in many
households and businesses where music is constantly played, and there
are lots of noises, but these places have pests present. Why would
ultrasonic waves repel "pests" but not sound waves?
4. Dogs can hear ultrasonic sounds. You can buy a dog whistle which
dogs can hear but humans can not. It gives out an ultrasonic sound. If
you have an ultrasonic sound device in your household and you have dogs,
is the sound being produced affecting your dogs?
5. Some ultrasonic devices claim to repel "pests", but not "good"
creatures and insects. What mechanism does the device use to
differentiate between a "good" creature and a "pest"?
6. If these ultrasonic devices are so great, why do reputable pest
management companies NOT use them? Alan Vaudry, PES
Professiional Ecological Services Ltd.
Victoria, British Columbia. email:
services@pestvictoria.com
www.pestvictoria.com
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Question #137
Are
commercially available ultrasound electronic devices an effective way of
controlling rodents and insects? Esteban, State College-PA (USA) |
| No. Read the answers to the
other questions on this page. |
Question #134
Do you know of any
supplier in Canada who sells the electronic mole chasers? If so could you
please respond. Thks. Debra, Ontario |
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