Human ears can only hear sound frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Anything above or below this range is inaudible to us. If you were to hear sounds higher than your audible upper-limit, it would be jarring and perhaps even painful, so you’ll try and get away from the source of the noise as soon as you could. Imagine if you could somehow use high-pitched (sound vibrating at a frequency higher than 20,000 Hz) sound waves to ward off those pesky insects and rodents. Enter ultrasonic pest repellers.
What are ultrasonic pest repellers?
Unlike traditional DIY pest control methods that heavily rely on toxic pesticides and chemicals, ultrasonic repellers use high-frequency sound waves as an invisible curtain that keeps insects and rodents at bay. The idea is to create an inhospitable environment for pests with the help of the high-pitched disrupting noise, preventing them from breeding, nesting, or communicating inside your home.
But as opposed to toxic and expensive pest control solutions, ultrasonic pest repellers are completely environmental-friendly and inexpensive. Depending on the features it comes with, an ultrasonic device can run you anywhere between $10 to $100.
How do they work?
Different insects respond to different frequencies; the same is valid for rodents. By tuning the frequencies these gadgets emit, ultrasonic repellers can be designed to drive away several different kinds of pests. You can use these devices in combination with regular traps. As the ultrasonic waves cause the pests to become disoriented and scurry around, they’ll likely end up getting trapped.
You simply plug the device into an outlet and make sure it isn’t facing a direct obstacle (since ultrasonic sound waves can’t penetrate solid objects). The resulting inaudible sound should rid your house of pests within 4-6 weeks.
Note that since the high-frequency waves emitted by these devices can’t go through walls, you’ll need to install a unit in every room of your house. More often than not, an individual module covers an area of a standard room, but in conjunction, they can be effective over a 7000-square foot area. Which brings us to our next point…
How effective are they?
While this technology may seem like the ‘magic’ push-button solution to getting rid of those pesky critters, in practice, these products won’t work for all kinds of pest infestations. That being said, they indeed work, but within reasonable expectations. As briefly touched on above, if you have a mild infestation, using ultrasonic pest control with a strategy like traditional traps can be a promising method. But not to put too fine a point on it, if you have a particularly nasty infestation, DIY solutions might do more harm than good.
Some studies have shown that ultrasonic repellers can reduce pests by as much as 50%. Other credible studies suggest that this technology is reasonably effective against rodents, spiders, and ants.
What about pets?
As long as your pet isn’t a rodent or insect, most ultrasonic products should be harmless to them. Not unlike humans (and human babies), most mammals cannot hear the sound frequencies emitted by ultrasonic repellers.
Bocianelli 2019 Upgraded Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Odor, noise, and radiation-free pest control
- Plugs directly into an outlet 7-16 inches from the floor
- Covers an area between 800-1200 square feet
- Six repellers included in the package
- One unit for a room
- Is effective against spiders, mice, rats, snakes, and mosquitos
- Can take between 4-6 weeks before it you see results
ZeroPest Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- 4-pack ultrasonic pest control
- Each unit has a working range of 1800 sq.ft., which comes to 7200 sq. ft. for four units
- Can repel mice, mosquitos, flies, rats, and roaches
- Plug-and-play design
- Features an LED nightlight
- Claims to rid your home of pests in 3-4 weeks
Neatmaster Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Makes use of a combination of electromagnetic and ultrasonic waves
- Works against mice, rats, spiders, mosquitoes, and roaches
- Three modes depending on the level of infestation
- Bionic, electromagnetic, and ultrasonic wave modes
- Convenient to use
- Covers 800-1200 sq. ft.
- Comes with a lifetime money-back guarantee
TBI Pro Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Offers ultrasonic, electromagnetic and negative ions modes
- Uses multiple-band ultrasonic operation to prevent pests from developing an immunity
- Two-packs, effective for an area up to 2,000 sq. ft.
- Plugs directly into a socket
- Purifies air
- Features a nightlight
- Safe for pets and humans
- TBI offers a full refund if you’re not satisfied
Home Sentinel Ultrasonic Pest Repellent
- Plugs into a socket and features automatic turn-off mechanism
- Protects against rodents, rats, spiders, and roaches
- Harmless to pets and humans
- Bright blue nightlight
- Triple operation: ionic, electromagnetic, and ultrasonic
- Uses a 25 kHz frequency
- Intuitive switch design
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MaxMoxie Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Drives away roaches, spiders, mosquitoes, bed bugs
Kid and pet safe
Can be plugged into any outlet
Operates at a range between 20 kHz and 65 kHz
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Two units in a pack
Has a nightlight that can be turned off
MaxMoxie offers a full refund within 30 days if you are not satisfied
eHouse Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Drives away rodents, mice, spiders, ticks, flies, crickets, and roaches
- Effective over 1600 sq. ft.
- Patented design
- Single unit and single-mode operation
- You get a full refund if you are dissatisfied and a lifetime guarantee
Defender Pro 2019 Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Protects against mice, spiders, moths, roaches, and squirrels
- Has a wide range and covers up to 1600 sq. ft.
- Easy to use plug-and-play design
- Equipped with an onboard nightlight
- Operates at a 25 kHz-65 kHz frequency
- Consumes 4-6W of power
- Shows results within three weeks of use
- The manufacturer offers a no-questioned-asked refund policy
Okutani Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Each unit can cover 80-120 sq. ft., for a total of 7200 sq. ft.
- To be installed 30 cm from the floor
- Emits frequencies between 24-84 kHz
- Repels mice, ants, mosquitoes, flies, mites, and crickets
- Easy-to-use pack of 6
- Water and moisture-proof
- Human and pet safe
ZEROPEST Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- High-frequency ultrasonic technology
- Ultrasonic sound is inaudible to household pets and humans
- Effective up to 1200 sq. ft. (indoor)
- Wards away mosquitoes, mice, roaches and other critters
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, when it comes to environment-safe pest control methods, ultrasonic repellers are just as promising products as any. But before you invest in one of these devices, ensure that they actually work (again, within reasonable expectations).