When pests enter your home, you can expect significant damage. However, getting rid of a rodent and insect infestation can be tricky business.
Especially since the Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to over 60 manufacturers of ultrasonic pest-control machines, demanding additional proof of their advertising claims. So where does that leave us then?
To answer this concern, my team and I decided to do extensive research on all the best electronic pest repellers. Here are our top 5 picks.
Top 5 Ultrasonic Pest Repellers in 2020
Pest Reject (6-pack)
Our top pick as the best ultrasonic pest repeller is the Pest Reject.
You can avail of a total of 6 new units of ultrasonic pest repeller to plug around your residence for a decent price.
This is a reasonably good deal when it comes to protecting your premises from pest infestations and “unwanted house guests." This product is used not just in homes but also in offices, gardens, and warehouses where infestations are rampant.
We recommend the installation of one device for each room to ensure top results. For serious critter invasion, you can also place 2 devices in each area.
If you don’t want to take any risk with insects, ants, spiders, mosquitoes, mice, and rats invading your residence, then this pest repeller could have you covered.
Key Features:
- Affordable option
- Blue light for on/off notification
- Microchip system
- Pest reject ultrasound repeller
Home Sentinel Full Electronic Pest Control
In our opinion, the best ultrasonic pest repeller should feature a wide frequency coverage, among other things. If you have large and open living spaces, Home Sentinel gives good results because it can cover up to 1200 sq ft.
In addition to using ultrasonic sound frequencies and electromagnetic waves to displace pests out of your house, it also includes Ionization. Ionization is a third type of technology that’s not found in many other repeller products.
Home Sentinel's electromagnetic feature is also a type of repellent that can travel through the room divider (via the wiring) to drive away pests. The size of the room bounds the ultrasonic sound and ionizers that the device is placed in. Since this device naturally gets rid of pests without killing them, there's no need for you to clean up dead critter remains.
Key Features:
- Non-toxic and safe for kids
- Effective for indoor areas up to 1200 sq ft
- Simple electronic plug
- Technical support and customer service
MaxMoxie (2-Pack)
According to many users, MaxMoxie is one of the best ultrasonic pest repellers available as a two-pack set for the same price as one.
Each device covers 1,200 sq ft of space. A good way to test the waters with a package such as this is to plug a single device in a central location like a living room and keep the doors open in adjacent rooms.
The MaxMoxie repellers come in a convenient size for easy plugging into an outlet. You can use it your bedroom, kitchen, basement, and attic. You may need to pay a little extra on electricity costs, but you'll also be saving hundreds of dollars without harmful pesticide control.
With fewer obstructions, the ultrasonic sound waves may be able to reach other areas of your premises from this single device. Then you can plug the second ultrasonic pest repeller in a nearby hallway to help broaden the protected space.
The produced frequency of this ultrasonic pest repeller is also reputed to drive away rats and mice successfully.
Key Features:
- Low input voltage power supply
- Easy electronic plug
- 1200 square ft range
- 30-day satisfaction guarantee from the manufacturer
Zero Pest
This 4-pack set of pest repellers might be the ticket to force those nasty critters out of your premises.
One new unit covers 1,500 sq ft (6,000 in total), wide enough to protect four medium to large family rooms.
For a large open space like a basement or garage, you may need to use two units to protect the entire area.
Some customer reviews mentioned it as being one of the top fly repellers, as well. It may not give the best results like the other products on the list, but it is still up there.
Key Features:
- Four pack of ultrasonic pest repellers
- Electronic chip to emit ultrasonic waves
- Easy electronic plug
- Multi-species insect repellent
Pest Offense Electronic Repeller
If your house has a simple wiring system with most rooms on single or double circuits, then this pest repeller could save you some money. This is our last pick for the best ultrasonic pest repellers.
It works strictly by sending electromagnetic pulses through your wiring to drive off different kinds of insects, rats, and mice, among other common household pests.
What makes it one of the best ultrasonic pest repellers is that it can protect a very large area and is not limited by partitions or other objects.
A single ultrasonic pest repellent device has enough power to drive off pests of an entire floor of an average size house (1,200 to 1,600 sq ft).
Key Features:
- EPA registered
- Built-in surge protector
- Sends electrical impulses in home wiring
- Effective for 1 level of the average size house
5 Key Considerations Before You Buy
Not all pest repellers work the same way. If you purchase the wrong repeller, you might be disappointed with the results, and you’ll end up wasting your money.[1]
We did a lot of online digging in choosing the best ultrasonic pest repeller for managing a rampant pest control problem. Let’s take a look at these key features of an ultrasonic pest repeller.
1. Ultrasonic Waves & Sounds
Most pests, such as insects and rodents, have strong reactions to high-frequency ultrasonic waves and sounds. However, these ultrasound waves and vibrations are inaudible to humans and other house pets.
The pests stand to be around that type of environment, and the first thing they would do is get away from the high frequency. As you can read in our product reviews above, all ultrasonic pest repellers produce ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic pest repellers utilize sound frequencies that create an invisible force field around your premises. This forces your little pest problem out of the house while the ones outside will not want to come anywhere near it.
2. Electronic Pest Repeller Individual Unit Coverage
Each ultrasonic pest repeller has a limit on how much area it can protect. When comparing pest control products, you’ll find that some devices cover a small space like 200 sq ft while others can handle an ample space of 1,600 sq ft or more.
The greater the area a pest repeller can protect, the better value it will bring. You can check out the list of specifications for each of the best ultrasonic pest repellers we've reviewed.
3. Number of Units Included in an Ultrasonic Repeller
Some brands of ultrasonic pest repellers only sell individual units while others come as a package set.
The number of ultrasonic pest repellers included with your purchase is significant because you may need at least two repellers to eliminate bugs, rats, and mice effectively.
As you learned about ultrasonic pest repellers, these products are limited to the size of the room they’re placed in.
A repeller may advertise that it can protect 1200 sq ft, but if the room you use it in is only 600 sq ft, then that’s all the pest control protection you’re going to need it to get the best results.
Still, if you purchase an ultrasonic device to tackle your pest problem, you’ll most likely get the staple 1200 sq ft range nonetheless. This technology works behind the walls through your wiring system and is not bound by physical barriers.
Keep this concept in mind when you’re shopping for pest repellers, so you know how many devices to purchase. For example, if your residence's main level is 1,000 sq ft with seven separate rooms, and you buy a single ultrasonic pest repeller that claims to shield 1200 sq ft, it’s not going to cover the whole floor when placing it inside a room.
The walls will block its full radius. In that example, you’ll need to put an ultrasonic pest repeller in every room surrounded by four walls.
In our reviews above, you’ll find recommendations for units that work in a large amount of space. To make it easier for you to make a decision, we've included the square footage ratings for two single units of pest repellents, as well as a two, four, and six-pack sets.
4. Electronic Pest Repeller Night Light
Some of the best ultrasonic pest repellers eliminate pests and serve as a night light. An LED is an optional feature many units of pest repellants include.
This feature has a dual purpose. The first purpose is to light up your hallways or rooms to help you see better at night. The second purpose is to act as an additional repellent for certain pests.
Some insects don’t like light, and so they’ll avoid areas that are lit up. You can find in our reviews above which units have night lights.
5. Warranty for Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
A warranty offered by the repellent device manufacturer is another way to ensure that the unit you bought is not a waste of money. This is for additional assurance while having the chance for a replacement or refund within the warranty period.
Other repellent manufacturers even offer a lifetime guarantee. As you can see in our individual product reviews, we stated the warranty.
6 Addition Benefits You May Enjoy
- Safety: A pest repeller doesn’t use chemicals or poisons to eradicate bugs and rodents. This means these products are safe for humans and pets to be around without fear of ingesting or inhaling toxic materials.
- Ease of Operation: Based on reviews, no expertise is needed to operate it. Just plug it into a power source or outlet, and it will start to emit sound frequencies and vibrations.
- Versatile: Ultrasonic pest repeller devices ward off a variety of household pests, including bugs and rodents. It is categorized as an insect repellent too. You don’t have to perform a separate exterminating process to repel each type of pest.
- Use Anywhere: Unlike certain traps or baits, ultrasonic pest repeller devices don’t use harsh chemicals, they can be used in any room of your home without any worry. This includes children’s rooms, pet areas, garage, basements, and more.
- Long-lasting: A new ultrasonic repellers work 24 hours a day for 1-3 years on end without needing to be replaced. What about power bills? There is no study to explain the device's effect on our electricity bill.
- They Repel Not Kill: Using chemical sprays, traps, and baits to kill pests around your residence can be inconvenient. Having to get rid of a dead bug, mouse, or rodent is not something anyone likes to do. Also, if a bug or rodent goes off and dies, an odor can start to emanate from the location after ingesting poison, which makes things much worse.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully when using your ultrasonic repeller. Each repeller comes with its own set of guidelines and requirements to show overall effective results, such as a recommended distance from the floor, avoiding the placement behind curtains, the best location inside a room, etc.
- Make sure to use the right number of repellers for each room. Every ultrasonic pest repeller and pest control device has a limited range. Therefore, please read the manufacturer’s instructions to find out how far it can reach. Then, put the device in a room that is less than this number or invest in multiple units to protect the intended space fully.
- Be patient. It takes time to eliminate the various type of pests (like two to four weeks), especially if you have severe mice problems. Even a popular device like Neatmaster will take time to show overall significant outcomes. If you find that ants, spiders, mice, or other pests are still invading your residence, wait a few days before you box the unit up and make a return. It’s normal for these critters to make their presence more known after installing an electronic or ultrasonic pest repeller because they’re usually trying to figure their way out of your place of residence. Let the bug repellent do its job before you panic and call in an exterminator.
FAQs
All you have to do is plug an ultrasonic pest repeller into an electrical outlet, and they’ll immediately start working. Some repellers include a switch to turn it on or off, so be sure to look for this function after unboxing it.
If you buy an ultrasonic pest repeller that sends vibrations through the wiring system of your walls, there’s nothing more you have to do after turning on the item.
Most ultrasonic pest repellers are advertised to get rid of ants, roaches, mice, rats, squirrels, snakes, mosquitos, flies, and fleas. It’s categorized as an insect repellent, so it can pretty much target any specie of insects.
Note that based on the Entomological Society of America, bed bugs are not repelled by ultrasonic devices. [2] Even popular units like TBI Pro Ultrasonic Pest Repeller or Neatmaster do not repel bed bugs, for bed bugs you can try a vacuum.
Yes, ultrasonic pest repeller devices are designed to be safe around pets. Based on user reviews, pets like cats, dogs, and birds are unaffected by these sound waves. However, some smaller animals like hamsters or rabbits may react to these devices because of their distinct hearing abilities.
According to numerous user reviews, many ultrasonic pest repellers live up to their claims.
However, even with expensive ultrasonic devices like TBI Pro Ultrasonic Pest Repeller, Neatmaster, and Zeropest Ultrasonic, not everyone will experience the same outcome. These devices are worth a shot no matter where you live or how bad of a pest problem you may have. It may be hard to believe that you can just plug such products into your wall outlet, and it starts repelling insects and rodents.
Just remember that pest repellers are not used to kill bugs and rodents, but rather designed to repel them from your premises. This process can take some time to work effectively (claims say in about two to four weeks), and it doesn’t happen overnight.
Also, some pests are brave souls and will invade your household no matter what. This is even true when using chemical pest repeller products.
Such devices are believed to reach an average of 400 up to 1,200 sq ft (this depends on the model used). The coverage area of an electronic pest repeller depends on how the product’s manufacturer designed it.
For instance, other expensive ultrasonic pest repellers like TBI Pro Ultrasonic Pest Repeller, Neatmaster, and Zeropest Ultrasonic even claim to cover up to 2,000 sq ft.
It is usually suggested to place the devices in multiple rooms so you might get the best results.
It is recommended to place the pest repeller in the part of a room where there are abundant signs of pest activity. This is usually the kitchen where rodents sniff around foods or left-overs.
Though it’s hard to look for signs of rodent activity because they creep around at night only, my suggestion is to look for other signs of pest infestation. For example, gnaw marks, chewing, tracks, nests, droppings, and even their strong urine smell.
Another essential thing I suggest is to plug it in an open space. Even other products not included in my top picks like the Neatmaster suggest the same too.
Do not place it behind a piece of furniture where the sound waves are blocked. This is the common mistake of people claiming that even the best ultrasonic pest repellers don’t work. So it is always important to strategically place the repeller for pests to witness overall effect.
Rodents can live up to two to three years inside your household or up to a year if situated outdoors or in the back yard. Also, rodents tend to get pregnant up to five to ten times each year and produce 3-14 pinkies (baby mouse). Imagine the mice problem and disaster this can result in.
- Organic Control – This is with the use of insect sprays, poisoned bait, or mouse traps.
- Chemical Pest Control – These are chemicals that can be used for residential and commercial purposes. These are in the form of aerosol, solid, and liquid. Remember to use this with precaution because of its harmful effects on humans and pets.
- Biological Control – Works by using another living organism to control the pests.
- Pest Control Services – Services by pest control companies.
No, ultrasonic pest repellers cannot cause harm to humans because the sound and vibrations are too weak to hear and feel. Even your pets will not be able to hear the ultrasound frequency.
The Best Electronic Pest Repeller is …
Among the best electronic pest control devices we've reviewed, our top pick is the Pest Reject ultrasonic repeller.
We've based this decision on countless hours of studying each product and reading customer reviews on the side. Home Sentinel offers a high frequency of 50-60Hz and comes conveniently in a four-pack set. This is a good option if you’re trying to cover multiple floors in your home.
It’s safe for pets and humans and is shown to be effective in getting rid of most critters, including mice, rats, cockroaches, and spiders.
What's your pick for the best ultrasonic pest repeller? Let us know in the comments below or check how you can do your own preventative pest control at home.
Pest Reject (6-pack)
Our #1 Recommendation
- Affordable option
- Blue light for on/off notification
- Microchip system
- Pest reject ultrasound repeller
