Lovebirds and high frequency pest repellents

[two_fishes]

Hi,

My wife has a lovebird. We're currently dealing with a mouse infestation and we bought a few of these high frequency ultrasonic pest repellents, to drive the mice out of the kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc, and toward rooms where we've set traps. Are lovebirds known to have problems with these devices. Our bird isn't displaying any unusual behaviour since we plugged the devices in, but I'd like to be sure.

Thanks!
Mark

 

[Kalidasa]

Just wanted to let your know..,those things don't work a lick. I've known more than a few people, clients and friends, who used them with zero success. You might want to consider poison baits where your birds could never come in contact with them.

 

[weco]

Hi Mark, welcome aboard, but what KD said about those devices is correct.....here's a link about mice from a couple of years ago, that you might be interested in: http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/28917-help-help-help-mice.html

Electronic devices, I'm sorry to say, are not going to help you, but mechanical devices can, whether the kind that quickly dispatch the critters or the ones that catch them live so they can be released elsewhere.....

Your problem is to find where they first came into the house at....even unseemly small cracks/spaces are often large enough for a colony invasion.....if a mouse can get its head in an opening, it can get the rest of its body through.....somewhere, in addition to a warm, comfortable climate, you have provided food and water for your guests...boxed cereals, bagged flour, breads, sweet rolls, dry pastas, almost anything you can think of is a feast to raise their families on, though you probably just started off with one pregnant female.....

If you live here in the states, contact your county agriculture agent about the best way to evict the interlopers, but I'm pretty sure you're going to have to close their entry point in order to keep them out.....

Good luck.....

 

[weco]

Here you go Mark, I went back in my files & got the whole file of what I posted earlier:

Ultrasonic and Subsonic Devices

I think all of us have, at one time or another, been frustrated by trying to rid our homes of some type of pest. With companion birds in the house we are looking for safe, effective ways to rid and prevent pests and vermin from bothering us.

Every few years a new crop of ultimate remedies and/or devices hits the market. The remedies I don’t know about, but the ultrasonic and subsonic devices, both the battery operated and the ones you plug into an electrical outlet, ARE NOT effective at driving off or preventing the return of the insects or vermin that they claim.

In the 1980s, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission warned companies about deceptive marketing claims for such products. For a while the devices faded from the market, however, a new crop of marketing hypesters are offering their ‘ultimate’ products (2009), for anywhere from $6.99 USD to $699 USD.

What these devices are very good at is separating the buyer from their money, nothing more.

There have been any number of scientific studies, performed by reputable institutions and their findings have been published for all to read, compare and question. The manufacturers and/or marketers of these wonder devices merely offer anecdotal testimony that cannot be tested or verified.

The following are excerpts and conclusions, offered by noted educators and researchers concerning ultrasonic and subsonic pest control devices.

Barb Ogg, PhD, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln has written: “Ultrasonic devices claim to use ultra-high frequency sound waves to chase away birds, bats, rodents and arthropod pests like fleas, cockroaches, silverfish and even spiders.

The consensus of researchers who have actually investigated ultrasonic devices is these products do not effectively repel or eliminate pests from homes.”

Leonard R. Askham, in an article Ultrasonic and Subsonic Pest Control Devices, posted on the Washington State Extension Communications and Educational Support website states: “Testing has also shown that the sounds don’t carry far. About half of the energy is gone in 15 feet. None remains at 30 feet.”

Askham goes on to state: “….. ultrasonics and recently subsonics have been tested extensively in the laboratory and field. These devices don’t work. Animals placed in cages next to the devices continue to live normal lives.”

In a 2006 study Lack of repellency of three commercial ultrasonic devices to the German cockroach, conducted by researchers at the Department of Entomology, Louisiana State. The University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, found that:

“Ultrasound from any of the three devices did not demonstrate sufficient repelling ability against the German cockroach in the tests. The result failed to provide evidence that ultrasonic technology could be used as an effective pest management tool to repel or eliminate the German cockroach.”

A posting on the website of Iowa State University, University Extension, by Donald Lewis, Department of Entomology is titled Ultrasonic Pest Control - Buyer Beware is worth your time to read. To read the Iowa State webpage, simply do a internet search for: Ultrasonic Pest Control - Buyer Beware.

While the devices tested may not have been the particular one that you may be considering, none of them work for what they are supposed to. Spend the money on yourself, your birds or your family instead.



Sorry.....

 

[two_fishes]

Hi,

Well I'm hoping a mix of techniques will work best. As I said, we're also laying traps and bait. I just hope the sonic devices will encourage the mice to frequent the areas where the traps and bait are laid. They weren't very expensive (a lot closer to the $6.99 range than the $699.) But if they don't work, then hopefully the traps and bait will.

 

[Rehabber]

Please don't use poison bait. I am a wildlife Rehabber and it's heartbreaking when we get a Raptor or any animal that has been poisoned because they have digested a poisoned rodent. It's a very slow and painful death..... please consider other alternatives.

 

[noodles123]

I remember removing mine (sound devices) when I got Noodles because I read they were bad for them...DK if that is true or not though.

Some people put stuff to repel them on the OUTSIDE of their houses (like oils etc).