Choosing an effective electronic rat and mouse repeller

Today, various models of electronic rat and mouse repellers are finding increasing popularity among those people who are not at all seduced by the idea of using poisonous rodents or "live-bearing" rat traps against rodents.

And this is quite understandable - at least the electronic device is as simple as possible to operate, it does not need to pick up a bait, it does not need to check and recharge it. Just buy a repeller, unpack it, plug it into a wall outlet and forget about pests. At least, sellers assure so, and so it can really happen if the device is selected correctly.

In addition, for many buyers, the fact that an electronic repeller allows you to get rid of rats and mice without killing them is important. Few people like to take out animals with broken bones, bulging eyes from mousetraps (or rat traps), and often also wash the floor from blood splattered nearby.

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“We kicked off the mice with a Tornado repeller. He is dear, an infection, but it works. Somewhere in a week, the mice left, stopped spoiling the cereals, even I specially laid out bread to check - no one was touching it. True, the cat does not respond well to this repeller, now he does not go to the basement either, he has become frightened. But since the cat himself could not cope with the mice, then it would be better if the repeller works instead of it ... ”

Anna, Feodosia

However, in reality, not everything is so simple. Today it’s easy to buy an electric repeller (they are inexpensive and pretty well presented in stores), but it’s much more difficult to choose the right device that would actually help get rid of rats and mice. The fact is that in the wake of active demand for such devices, the market was flooded with outright dummies that do not work at all, but only depict the appearance of work - light bulbs are lit on them, they can even peep, although rats at this time calmly walk right next to the device and do not even think to be scared.

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“I unequivocally found out for myself that cheap repellers do not work at all. I bought myself on ebee for $ 5 a white such an electric repeller of everything and everything - it is written that it helps from cockroaches and from mice, and drives mosquitoes away. He turned it on for a month there, and there, and with an extension cord right next to the mouse holes, he set it - generally zero to mass. For the sake of interest, he laid a piece of bread on the repeller himself and left it like that for the night. There was no bread in the morning ... It seems to me, or have I been deceived somewhere? ”

Vlad, Perm

In order not to accidentally spend money and time on such trinkets, it is useful to figure out in advance on what principle the electronic repeller of rats and mice works, what characteristics the device should have and how to be able to distinguish an effective device from a useless tweeter.

Let's talk about these nuances in more detail ...

What you need to know about the principle of action of rat and mouse repellers?

The only type of scarers that can be successfully used in everyday life to fight rats and mice are ultrasonic devices. The principle of their action is that they produce high-frequency sounds (ultrasounds) that people cannot hear, but which are well perceived by rats and mice. At a certain frequency, such sounds cause discomfort in rodents, and animals try to avoid those places where the device works.

An important point: far from every ultrasound scares off mice and rats! Just as not every audible sound is unpleasant for humans, so rodents are quite calm about many signals in the ultrasonic range. This means that it is not enough for the device to simply emit ultrasound to become an effective repeller.In order for rats and mice to be afraid of it, the frequencies in it must vary within wide limits, so that from time to time the sound turns out to be exactly that which causes discomfort in animals.

When this type of electric circuit is implemented in an electronic repeller (with a changing frequency of the emitted ultrasound), one more plus is achieved: when the ultrasound frequencies are changed in a random mode, the intervals between signals unpleasant for rats turn out to be different, which avoids the effect of the rodents quickly getting used to the device.

On a note

It is useful to keep in mind that cockroaches, bugs, ants and many other insects (with the exception, perhaps, of mosquitoes) are not afraid of ultrasound. Also, most insects are completely indifferent to the so-called electromagnetic and magnetic resonance repellers. And if the seller advertises you a tool, as a universal repeller of everything harmful, then it makes sense to think about whether he is telling the truth and whether he should buy something.

Universal insect and rodent repellers that are advertised and marketed as electromagnetic and magnetic resonance are dummy products. The principle of their action is not theoretically justified, although the advertising attempts to beautifully explain the mechanism of operation of such electronic devices. It is these scarers that receive the most negative reviews that they are ineffective and do not scare away rodents or insects.

Choosing a reliable device

So, to buy a truly effective electronic rodent repeller, you must first weed out deliberately non-working means.

Obviously inefficient devices can be calculated as follows:

The device costs less than 1000 rubles. This border is to a certain extent conditional, however, experiments in real conditions have shown that means that provide at least some result cost at least 1000-1500 rubles. All others are useless;
A specific model is positioned as a universal remedy for rats, mice, cockroaches, bugs, or even mold in the bathroom. Remember that even the most effective electrical appliance from mice and rats will be completely ineffective for repelling insects. If the seller claims the opposite, he is not entirely sincere with you;
The device is positioned in different ways at different sites or from different sellers. Some say that the tool is ultrasonic, others advertise it as electromagnetic, while others say that this electric repeller is generally magnetic resonance. With a high probability, such a device also belongs to the category of "dummies";
The repeller is very small (with a pack of cigarettes) and works only on batteries. If the proposed repeller is placed in the palm of your hand, then most likely its main function is to please the buyer with a burning green light, but nothing more.

It is also useful to read: The use of electric rat traps to control rodents

Electronic devices that have passed such an initial screening have already increased chances of really scaring off rats.

However, even among such repellers, you need to be able to choose the most effective one - for this you already need to evaluate the technical characteristics of the device:

Sound pressure level. The higher it is, the more efficient the device. For the most reliable repellers, this value exceeds 100 dB;
The radiation pattern of the emitted ultrasound (determined by the magnitude of the angle within which the ultrasound propagates). Ideally, the angle should be close to 360 °, which corresponds to the emission of ultrasonic vibrations in all directions from the device. Interestingly, many manufacturers claim such a value on their products, although according to experimental tests, the real value is noticeably less than 360 °.Nevertheless, in practice it has been established that the wider the radiation pattern of the device, the ceteris paribus the more effective this electric repeller is in operation;
The frequency range - the wider it is, the better (within reason, of course). Most high-quality electronic repellers work in the range of 20-80 kHz, while the frequency is constantly changing;
Declared protected area. Manufacturers almost always declare a larger area than the device can actually protect, but in general, the larger this area, the more chances there will be to drive the rats out of the room.

All the most popular electronic means of rats have been tested more than once by enthusiasts at a special experimental bench to evaluate technical characteristics, as well as on ordinary wild rats in real use conditions. The most effective pests were scared away by the following devices (shown in decreasing order of effectiveness):

Chiston-2 missile defense;
Bioguard;
Chiston-2;
TM-315;
WK-0600;
UZU-03;
Spectrum;
Tornado-800;
Tsunami-2;
KQ 200A;
Hail.

The electrocot, Banzai and LS 968 repellers turned out to be somewhat less effective. They scare rodents, but operate at short distances, and can be used to protect only relatively small rooms.

Electronic rodent repellers Chiston-2 and Chiston-2 PRO

Chiston electronic repellers are one of the most powerful devices designed to fight rats and mice. Their operating frequency range is 20-70 kHz.

Chiston-2 PRO is more powerful - according to the manufacturer, it provides a sound pressure level of 125 dB (versus 110 for Chiston-2) and protects an area of up to 450 sq. m. (against 300 sq. m. at Chiston-2).

Chistons work against mice and rats in most cases, with their help it is possible to reliably protect not only basements and sheds, but also warehouses of products at industrial enterprises. At the same time, the tools work silently, people do not hear the sounds emitted by them.

The price of Chiston-2 today is about 2500 rubles, and Chiston-2 PRO - 3000 rubles, and these devices are even cheaper than some less efficient devices.

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“We bought Chiston two years ago. And I’ll tell you that it is worth the money. Rats at his work leave in two days, I drove them in the chicken coop, after that they did not appear. I even fought moles with it, turned it on in the middle of the garden with an extension cord - the mole left a week later. A universal thing, very powerful, I am pleased that I spent on it, because now I don’t know any problems with rats. ”

Gregory, Zeleny Yar

Bioguard

In fact, Biostrazh is a modernized version of Chistonov. According to the manufacturer, this electric repeller protects against rodents an area of up to 850 square meters. m. and provides a sound pressure level of 130 dB.

The price of the Bioguard is about 4,500 rubles, but in general for domestic use this device is redundant. Chistonov’s previous models will be enough to protect the basement or a private house, and the Biostrazh repeller is better suited for fighting rodents at large industrial facilities.

Tornado 800

The Tornado-800 is a relatively expensive device (its price is about 3,500 rubles), which, according to the test results, is slightly inferior to the more affordable Chistons, but, nevertheless, quite effective for fighting rats at home.

Despite the manufacturer claimed 800 square meters of protected area, in practice this repeller allows more or less reliable disposal of rodents only in standard apartments and small private houses.

Rules for the use of electronic rat and mouse repellers

Electronic rodent repellers are good primarily because of their ease of use. All that is needed for such a device to start scaring rats is to plug it into a power outlet. In some devices, it is possible to independently adjust the power of the emitted ultrasound and the frequency range, however, most devices do everything automatically and do not require any human involvement in their work.

Since the most effective repellers have a wide radiation pattern, it is most rational to place them in the center of the room in order to maximize their potential. For example, you can install them on a chair or other stand.

It is also useful to read: Poisoning from rats and mice: a review of the most effective remedies

In principle, the electric repeller can also be hung on the wall near the outlet - many of the devices have corresponding fastening elements. However, this option is generally more losing than placing the device in the center of the protected room.

It is recommended to keep the repeller turned on continuously for at least 2-3 weeks. Then, when it becomes clear that the rodents are gone, the device must be turned off. You can sometimes turn it on for prevention, but you shouldn’t leave it constantly working for a long time - in this case, the probability that rats and mice get used to the sound is reduced.

When using the device, it should be borne in mind that ultrasound is strongly absorbed by carpets and upholstered furniture and, in addition, is not able to penetrate obstacles (for example, through a wall, even a thin one). Meanwhile, if there are not many absorbing materials, then repeatedly reflected from the solid surfaces of the floor, ceiling, walls and interior items, ultrasound fills the whole room.

On a note

If you decide to fight rats with an electronic repeller, then you need to abandon the use of all kinds of baits, including poisoned ones. You can not simultaneously lure rodents into the room and at the same time try to scare them away.

The next important point that you should not forget about - when using an electronic repeller, rodents should be able to leave the room. If, for example, a cellar with stone walls and a floor does not have access to the outside world, and the rats here simply set up their nest, then leaving them can be problematic. Therefore, in such cases, manufacturers advise that when the repeller is working in the room, there should be at least one gap through which rodents can escape. After getting rid of all rodents, all cracks and holes through which pests can return again should be carefully repaired.

An ideal option would be to install a repeller in each protected room. If you first install the device in one room, and then in the next, then the rats and mice will simply run from one room to another. In private houses, usually one device per floor is enough. Also, do not forget about the basement and the attic.

Can I make an ultrasonic repeller with my own hands?

In principle, for a competent radio electronics engineer, the electrical circuit of the rat and mouse repeller is understandable and does not represent anything complicated. With the availability of accessories and a suitable tool, such a device can be assembled with your own hands, but almost certainly it will cost significantly more than an industrial product.

It should be borne in mind that the simplest home-made products based on emitters from alarms, parking sensors and piezodynamics in terms of efficiency in real conditions are on a par with overt rubbish.

Attempts to reproduce ultrasound using a smartphone or computer speakers will also do nothing good - the speakers of these devices are simply not designed to play sounds with a frequency of more than 20,000 Hz (and even this is in the best case).

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“At one time I was interested in how electronics work from mice and rats. I figured out the ultrasound, there is nothing super complicated, the electronic circuit of the usual repeller is about the level of the Soviet radio electronics club, a three-year student solders this over the evening. The problem is that in industrial designs their own controllers are used, which basically give the result. And rats alone cannot penetrate rats ... ”

Pavel, Novokuznetsk

How safe are these devices for humans and pets?

For humans, the electronic repellers of rats and mice when properly handled (after all, the device is electric) are completely safe.

But for pets, these repellers can become serious irritants.Cats and dogs hear well in the ultrasonic frequency range, and a constant inaudible sound of the device can cause them considerable discomfort and even cause stress. Therefore, if there are pets in the house, the device should be turned on to check and observe the animals. If they show signs of anxiety, then you should either temporarily send them to relatives or friends, or look for other ways to deal with rodents.

This is even more true for decorative rodents - domestic rats, hamsters, mice, degu, gerbils. Physiologically, they are no different from pests that are driven away from the premises with the help of repellers, and therefore such devices can cause them stress and lead to refusal of food.

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“I didn’t dare to buy such an electric repeller. They talk about him well in advertising, he’s such a wonderful person, just explain to me how it turns out that for basement rats he creates unbearable living conditions, but he doesn’t affect pets at all. This is a clear contradiction! It is either dangerous for everyone, or it is for everyone on the drum. In general, I did not dare, I catch a mousetrap-house and give it to a cat, everyone is happy. ”

Dasha, Kaluga

Judging by the reviews, some people have electronic rodent repellers that can cause headaches, so it’s still not worth staying in the immediate vicinity of a powerful working device (for example, you certainly should not install it in the bedroom next to the bed).