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Subject:
From:
"Timothy C. Eisele" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 23 May 2001 08:17:58 -0400
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On Tue, May 22, 2001 at 08:03:43PM -0400, Becky boehm wrote:
> Hello all on the list,
> I have a question pertaining to the use of the ultrasound insect
> repellers designed to use in the home. I also use them in the honey
> equipment storage area for cricket control (seems to work ok) and was
> wondering if anyone has any experience with them in close proximity to a
> colony of bees? Maybe next to an oberservation hive?
> I realize that bees dont hear but was wondering if one of these devices
> would confuse or otherwise effect them. Any input would be appreciated.
> thanks in advance

I would be surprised if they had any effect on bees, seeing as how
(as far as I've been able to find out) there is no documented evidence
that they work on the things they are supposed to repel in the first
place.  The manufacturers have nothing but anecdotal evidence that they
have any effect at all (everything I've seen amounts to customers
saying "well, they seem to work OK".  Of course, the manufacturers
would never publish the irritated letters from people who say they
don't work at all, so anecdotes like that, published by the manufacturer,
can hardly help being biased).

This in spite of the fact that it seems like a perfectly easy
thing to check.  Just set up two areas where the only difference is
whether there is an ultrasonic repeller or not, run for a while, and
count vermin.  The ease of the check, and the lack of any published
results from such checks, quite frankly reeks of fraud to me.
This is one of those things that a lot of people would really like to
have if it worked, and you can bet that any unequivocal evidence that
they *did* work would be trumpeted from the rooftops, not hidden so
deeply that my three years of periodic literature searches would be unable to
find it.

I've heard that the EPA tested a number of ultrasonic repellers, and
found that they had no effect on any of the tested vermin.  Unfortunately,
I haven't been able to find the actual results of that study, so I
can't say how comprehensive it might be.  However, the Federal Trade
Commission is convinced that at least one ultrasonic pest repeller is
a fraud, see:

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/predawn/F86/sagaintl.htm

for their judgement against Saga International and their "Home Free"
ultrasonic repeller.

I'd really like to find that hypothetical EPA study, of course, but
as it stands I'd say that if you assume that all the electronic insect
repellers on the market are fraudulent, you won't be far wrong.

--
Tim Eisele
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