Do ultrasonic pest repellers work?
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No. A Cochrane systematic review found that all ten field studies of electronic mosquito repellents showed no difference in mosquitoes caught on bare skin with or without a device running, and concluded there is no evidence to support their use. A study of four commercial ultrasonic devices found bed bugs were neither repelled nor attracted by them.
What do people believe about ultrasonic pest repellers?
A plug-in or battery device emits ultrasound that drives away insects, rodents or both.
What does the evidence show?
This is one of the few garden and household claims where the literature is not merely thin but decisively negative.
A Cochrane systematic review of electronic mosquito repellents for preventing bites and malaria found no randomized controlled trials existed, and that all ten field studies showed no difference in the number of mosquitoes caught on bare body parts with or without a device running. The review concludes there is no evidence to support their promotion or use - unusually direct language for Cochrane.
For insects generally, a study in the Journal of Economic Entomology tested four commercially available ultrasonic devices against bed bugs in two-choice arenas. Female bed bugs were equally likely to occupy the arena with sound as the one without. The devices neither repelled nor attracted them.
Why do ultrasonic repellers stay popular?
Because the mechanism sounds plausible, the output is inaudible so there is nothing to contradict, and any absence of pests is attributed to the device. It is a claim structured so as to be unfalsifiable by the user.
What works instead?
Physical exclusion, habitat management and, where needed, an appropriate registered product. For mosquitoes specifically, eliminating standing water and using evidenced repellents on skin or clothing.
Key takeaways
- A Cochrane review found no randomized controlled trials of electronic mosquito repellents.
- All ten field studies showed no difference in mosquitoes caught with or without a device.
- Four commercial ultrasonic devices neither repelled nor attracted bed bugs in two-choice arenas.
- Because the output is inaudible, users cannot tell whether a device does anything.
- Physical exclusion, habitat management and registered products are the evidenced alternatives.
References
Frequently asked questions
Do ultrasonic repellers work on mosquitoes?
No. A Cochrane systematic review found all ten field studies showed no difference in the number of mosquitoes caught on bare body parts with or without a device running. For mosquitoes, eliminate standing water and use evidenced repellents on skin or clothing.
Do electronic bed bug repellers work?
No. A Journal of Economic Entomology study tested four commercially available ultrasonic devices in two-choice arenas, and female bed bugs were equally likely to occupy the arena with sound as the one without.
What works instead of ultrasonic repellers?
Physical exclusion, habitat management and, where needed, an appropriate registered product. Device output is inaudible, so any absence of pests tends to be credited to the device whether or not it did anything.
Related reading
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Products
No direct product mapping. This page examines a claim rather than a single ingredient, so no product maps to it directly.