مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Testing the Effect of the Ultrasonic Pest Repellents on Blatta lateralis Walker (Blattodea: Blattidae)

Abstract :

This study was conducted at Suleyman Demirel University, Plant Protection Department of Faculty of Agriculture between the years 2015 and 2016 in order to test the effect of the ultrasonic insect repellents claimed to have repellent effect on various harmful pests including primarily household pests and bugs. For this reason, 30 devices dispersing ultrasonic waves in various lengths and frequencies were tested on Blatta lateralis Walker (Blattodea: Blattidae) which is one of the common household pests and the effect of the devices on this bug was evaluated. The results of the study indicated that these 30 ultrasonic appliances, including two having been marketed already, had no repellent effect on B. lateralis at all. It was also found that the appliances lacked most of the technical specifications indicated in user manual and that one of the appliances had no function related to ultrasonic besides lacking any repellent functions. This study also cast doubt on the claim that these appliances had impact on ants, moths, scorpions, rats, cockroaches, mites, bats, snakes and squirrels. All in all, it was concluded that such devices, having been marketed and advertised with the claim of perfect repellent effect by also providing several natural people or legal identities as references, were to be subject to strict technical tests and related legislature were to be revised immediately.