If you’re dealing with pests, you may be desperate for relief. For a lot of people, ultrasonic pest repellers seem like a fast, easy solution for driving bugs and rodents away, but do ultrasonic pest repellers work? Are they even worth trying?

While these devices might discourage certain pests temporarily, ultrasonic pest repellers are not effective in the long term and ultimately won’t solve chronic pest problems. 

An ultrasonic pest repeller is a small plug-in device that emits a high-frequency tone meant to drive pests away from your home. These products are available online and at most hardware stores and have been marketed to consumers for decades as a pest solution.

Another popular variation of these devices is outdoor ultrasonic pest repellers. Lawn and garden ultrasonic pest repellers are attached to a stake for easy placement in your yard and are usually solar powered. Outdoor pest-repellent devices are meant to ward off pests like moles, voles, mosquitoes, and other animals and insects.

In a few controlled studies, high-frequency sound waves from sophisticated equipment  raised body temperature over time and caused seizures in rodents. But these results have not been replicated with small commercial devices in residential settings. 

Are ultrasonic pest repellers effective? Not really; at most, they’ll disturb pests temporarily. The idea is that pests will hear an annoying sound in your home and decide not to stick around. However, many pests like rodents and cockroaches are extremely adaptable to their surroundings and won’t stay away for long (or at all).

Jonathan Ferreira, ACE (Associate Certified Entomologist) at Local Exterminator explains,  “Rodents are the number one reason people buy ultrasonic pest repellers, and rats are especially smart.”

“If someone is using one of these devices, pests might go away for a week or two, but they’ll keep coming back. And if the sound is always there, they’ll get used to it.”

In fact, it’s not difficult to find images and videos of rodents and other pests interacting with ultrasonic pest repellers, totally unbothered.

Another reason ultrasonic pest repellers are not effective is that ultrasonic sound waves can’t penetrate walls or solid objects. 

Ferreira said that people will often buy two devices—one for the kitchen and one for the bedroom—and think they’re covered. In reality, you would need to buy one repeller for every room in the house because ultrasonic sound doesn’t travel the way other frequencies do.

He also sees people “hide” ultrasonic pest repellers behind furniture so that guests don’t know they have a pest problem. Unfortunately, this defeats the purpose of the device, as those sound waves are now trapped behind a solid object.

Even with proper placement inside the home, ultrasonic pest repellers have no effect on pests living outside. “You might see an improvement in your home temporarily, but these pests are still reproducing outside,” said Ferreira.

As for lawn and garden ultrasonic pest repellers, the same principles apply: 

Often, people convince themselves that ultrasonic pest repellers work when they see an improvement in a pest problem. There are cases where someone with one or two mice uses a device and the animals do go away. However, there’s no way to prove these pests weren’t eliminated through other environmental factors like a natural predator or a neighbor setting traps.

Studies have shown time and time again that there is  no strong evidence to suggest that ultrasonic pest repellers are effective. 

There is a chance an ultrasonic pest repeller could disturb your pets because their ears are much more sensitive than ours. Dogs can hear pitches up to the  47-65 kHz range and domestic cats can hear up to 85 kHz. If your animals begin to act anxious or display unusual behavior after being exposed to an ultrasonic pest repeller, they may be picking up on the frequency and feel a bit disoriented by it before getting used to the sound. 

Ultimately, ultrasonic pest repellers are probably not worth your time or money. Most bugs and rodents will adapt to these sounds and will not be deterred by them.

Again in 2001, the FTC sent warning letters to more than 60 ultrasonic pest manufacturers, stating that the companies were required to back up their claims with scientific research and evidence.

If you’re looking for effective ways to get rid of rodents and other pests in and around your home,  professional pest control is the best way to ensure their removal. While you’re waiting for experts to arrive, there are a few things you can do to prep your home and yard. 

Ultrasonic pest-repelling devices may not be able to eliminate your pest problems, but the friendly field experts at Local Exterminator can. We use professional-grade products to ensure the removal of pests, so whether you’re dealing with rodents or spiders, or simply want to prevent unwanted bugs and critters from entering your home,  contact us today.