Although I enjoy spending time outside — walking, swimming, even picnicking — at the end of the day, I prefer to sleep on a real mattress in a place with a toilet that flushes, not under a mosquito net beneath the stars. When I rented outside the city for a year, I imagined I’d get the best of both worlds, being able to access nature without really living in it. But I was dismayed to learn the beautiful, refurbished farmhouse was riddled with unwanted roommates. Instead of living the bucolic dream, I heard rodents crawling up the brick every night. I nearly stepped on sand-colored spiders and centipedes that camouflaged with the light wood floor. I anxiously tiptoed around frogs and lizards darting in the floor cracks.
It took some troubleshooting to find a pest-control solution, especially because I was battling so many different creatures at once. I tried my usual defenses, including Raid spray and mouse traps. These didn’t do much besides giving my home a lingering potent smell and wasting my peanut butter. I spent the better part of six months cleaning mouse droppings and consistently wearing Moon Boots to be prepared to stomp on the nearest insect at any moment. One night, I even stood on a stool with the vacuum running to keep the mouse from escaping the living room while my brother-in-law made the 25-minute trip to buy traps.
After months of invasion, day and night, I spent one late night ferociously searching for a solution that didn’t include finding a new rental, and that’s how I discovered this pack of ultrasonic pest-repellent devices, with stellar reviews on Amazon. I was skeptical that a scentless, kill-free product could really get rid of my problem, but I ordered a pack anyway. At $36 for six devices, or just $6 a piece, it seemed a worthwhile gamble.
Setup couldn’t have been easier. The small egg-shaped devices plug into any standard outlet and look surprisingly discreet, with no smell as promised. The reviews said to expect more critters initially, and this was spot on. In the first week or two, it was shocking — and somewhat disturbing — to see so many pests abound. I noticed more creepy-crawlers than usual, but they were coming out of the woodwork in clusters, rather than solo. This was especially true of flying insects in the bathrooms and lightbulbs, which required some extra cleaning that first week.
But I promise this means the plugins are doing their job. The low-frequency ultrasonic sensation lures pests out of hiding while remaining imperceptible to people. Once the vermin feel the repellant, they are bothered and nudged to find a new hangout spot. Within a week or so, I saw fewer pests. After three to four weeks maximum, I saw barely any at all — and after having them plugged in for six months, they’ve stayed away.
Secretly, I’ve kept waiting for more creatures to emerge. But the insects and mice didn’t return, even in winter when I thought they would be back, looking for warmth. In my experience, keeping the devices regularly plugged into outlets in each room is key for their success. Ideally, placing one in each room, or two in larger spaces, will keep unwanted guests away. Otherwise, you run the risk of pests wreaking havoc in an uncovered room. Since my house was two floors, I ordered another pack to cover the square footage evenly. As an added plus, the blue light doubles as an eye-friendly nightlight, which can be toggled on or off (though the repelling works best when the light is on).
Occasionally, I would see a mouse scurrying outside the porch at night. As long as they no longer enter inside, I’m fine with their nesting habits. All that matters is I can sleep in a room that keeps the outside things out.
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