A Comparative Analysis of Electronic and Chemical Pest Repellent Lydia Ausberry Abstract Recently it was argued by pest control manufacturer that repellents using high frequency sound for insect invasions are superior to the conventional chemical sprays and treatments. High frequency sound is known to repel certain insects and other animals, and permethrin is a common household pesticide also with repellent properties. It is important for the general public to know differences in repellent effectiveness and toxicity. This study compares the efficacy of the two top selling repellents, the Weitech 0615, a toxin-free high frequency sound device, and Cutter Bug Free Backyard, using permethrin. Each repellent was tested separately in backyard testing sites as prescribed on their labels. To attract nocturnal insects, a fluorescent light was set up near a white tarp. This study focuses on and analyses product failure, which is defined as the approach of an insect to the repellent-treated area. The number of these insects not repelled was tabulated as well as the insect type. The results show that both methods are effective in repelling insects compared to the area that was not treated, but the sound based product was not proved more effective than the chemical-based repellent. These findings provide some insight into the complexity of different repellent methods, and the compromises and tradeoffs involved when using synthetic chemicals versus alternative forms of repellent.Introduction Due to the recognized harmful effects of pesticides to wildlife as well as humans, there is a growing demand for pesticide alternatives to reduce pesticide exposure and poisoning. Alternative pest control is typically defined as a method that does not use conventional synthetic chemical compounds such as DEET, permethrin or diethyl toluamide to kill or deter insects. These alternative methods include aromatic herbal compounds like citronella, hormone sprays, and electronic sound producing devices, among others. Purchasers often believe these forms of repellent to be family friendly, non-toxic, convenient and equally effective to synthetic pesticides, without the harm to the indoor or outdoor environments. A study by Rutgers Cooperative Extension investigated consumer concerns in regards to pesticides. Through a questionnaire, it was found that over 65% of respondents believed that synthetic pesticides had a negative effect on the environment while 25% were unsure and 10% disagreed, and of those respondents, women and households with children were more likely to be concerned with pesticide use than men and households without children. This concern for the environment and family health reflects the increasing demand for industries such as organic agriculture, and related synthetic chemical-free repellents and insecticides. High frequency sound devices, one of the newest methods of pest control, first manufactured in 1998 by Weitech Inc., have attracted consumer attention due to their user-friendly and household safe properties. In some instances the sound output causes insect deterrence, as it resembles the high frequency sound used by nocturnal bats or other predators. This uses the animals’ instincts to flee an area that is ridden with their particular predator. In other cases such as with dogs or cats, the sound may resemble that of nails on a chalkboard (Donald 2001), which will deter various animals, but as with most high frequency sound devices, are out of the typical human hearing range. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating the claims of the manufacturers that their electronic pest control devices actually perform as advertised. If a high frequency sound repellent device can perform as claimed, the implications are increased competition for chemical repellent producers which could lead to a phasing out such insecticides if proven to be cost efficient and effective. However, data on alternative repellent use are not being collected to determine success on a comprehensive basis, making it difficult to evaluate whether, where, andto what extent high frequency sound is actually helping to reduce the number of insects in an area or helping to reduce the amount of chemical pesticide needed. A common pesticide is permethrin, often found in household insecticides and repellents. It is used to kill and deter insects by way of a neurotoxin which kills all life cycles of arthropods on contact. The wide use of this pyrethoid is partly owed to the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency has rendered this chemical to be of low toxicity to humans even though it has proven to be carcinogenic to lab rats (WHO 1999). Studies have also shown that it has a negative effect on wildlife such as bees and especially aquatic species (NPTN 1999). Both sound and permethrin-based repellents have instances where animals have developed immunity. For instance, sound devices don’t continue to be effective on mice longer than six months if the sound is repetitive. Additionally, Harvard University researchers found U.S. lice collected from two sites were strongly resistant to permethrin regardless of the dose. By comparison, the compound quickly killed lice collected from children in Borneo, where permethrin is almost never used as a pesticide (Natl. Post 2004). Since most consumer information comes from the claims of individual manufacturers, it is important for the consumer to know the efficacy of the high frequency sound method in comparison to the conventional chemical sprays and the consequences of each. This research focuses on one of the most popular brands of pest control in the category of outdoor chemical treatments and outdoor high frequency sound treatments, to compare their effectiveness and check their claims through accounts of product failure. This study will address the question: Which pest control method is superior in its’ repellent abilities, and which insects are best repelled by each method? The involvement of moths in this study very important, as they are known to be positively photo tactic, and it is thought by lepidopterists (moth and butterfly scientists) that moths use light wavelengths from the moon as a navigation tool, as some moths migrate long distances nocturnally(Hsiao 2000). This actually suggests that moths aren’t actually attracted to lamps, but fly to them as a navigational accident. Sound also has an effect on moths, as they commonly
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