GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Creepy crawlies are invading our homes and yards, wallowing in the hot summer sun. Imagine if there were an easy way to get rid of them without lathering up in deet bug spray or lighting citronella candles?
VERIFY QUESTION
Good Morning Show viewer Richard Schivley from Blanch, NC asked, "VERIFY if these ultra high-frequency pest control products really work. You know, the one human hearing can't detect...but is supposed to rid your home of insects and rodents?"
VERIFY SOURCE
- Frank Fowler - McNeely Pest Control biologist and vice-president
VERIFY PROCESS
Frank Fowler, biologist and vice-president of McNeely Pest Control explained insects communicate in different ways. Crickets and cicadas, for example, use sound. Other insects communicate through pheromones and scent trails. Honey bees communicate using a dance to tell other bees where to find food.
"I do not know of any research that definitively proves the effectiveness of ultra high-frequency devices in insect control," Fowler said.
"Our company does not deploy such devices in professional pest management. Such devices may affect certain insects in different ways, however I would not recommend someone use these devices as a stand-alone pest management strategy," he concluded.
VERIFY CONCLUSION
The answer is half true and half false. Ultra high-frequency pest control products could work on insects that use sound to communicate. But, they are not a guaranteed pest control solution.
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