Do Sonic Pest Chasers work?

October 7, 2005 7:51 AM

Do Ultrasonic Pest Control devices really work for mice and rats? When we moved into our current house there apparently was a bad problem with rats that we only found out about by one dying in the walls. We have since gotten rid of them but I have this fear that they will find a way back in. So, if I set a couple of these devices up in our crawlspace and attic would that work to deter them? And will they really not bother my dogs?
posted by GrumpyMonkey to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

I had one, it was a cheap one, so don't accept this as your only datapoint. It never bothered by dog, but it never seemed to bother the mice either.
posted by KirTakat at 8:05 AM on October 7, 2005

The Federal Trade Commission is dubious about these devices.
posted by Morrigan at 8:12 AM on October 7, 2005

If I was a wandering mouse rousted from my digs and I passed by an apartment with a screeching noise I might move on to the next appartment.

If someone turned on the noise in my own mouse house I would just deal with it.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:17 AM on October 7, 2005

We had a couple set up in the kitchen and we still got ants in the summer and had mice in the winter.

They didn't bother the dogs though.
posted by krisobi at 8:17 AM on October 7, 2005

Never tried the Ultrasonic Pest Controls because somebody told me that regular old Mothballs worked great. I tried it, they did. They need replenishing about once a year, but cheap and effective (at least for me).
posted by daver at 9:20 AM on October 7, 2005

I use rat poison.
posted by webmeta at 9:30 AM on October 7, 2005

My sister tried the ultrasonic against flying squirrels (northern Wisconsin) and it did not work.
posted by nancoix at 9:45 AM on October 7, 2005

You could get a pet ferret or weasel. They eat rats.
posted by alms at 9:47 AM on October 7, 2005

Ultrasonic devices are crap. You need a cat.
posted by enrevanche at 5:29 PM on October 7, 2005

You'd be much better off inspecting your house for critter-entrances and closing them off, and looking around your property for critter-attractive-nuisances such as garbage and critter-motels such as gaps under garages.
posted by dhartung at 6:41 PM on October 7, 2005

The device worked for me. My ferrets never killed a thing.

It's kind of creepy how many "help! mice/rats!" askme posts are appearing lately. Do you think they could really be aliens?
posted by artifarce at 9:22 PM on October 7, 2005

I agree with dhartung. The best method is always to make sure they cant get in in the first place. Problem solved.
posted by a_green_man at 1:38 PM on October 9, 2005