MIAMI – There is no reliable evidence to show that commercially available ultrasonic mosquito repellents are efficient, health authorities say. But despite this, there are several misleading products that may be putting some at risk.
Products like the STAR Ultrasonic Pest Repeller, the Ultrasonic Mosquito & Bug Repellent Keychain and the Anti Mosquito Sonic Repeller app use a technology that relies on the mosquito's reaction to sound.
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New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman issued a warning to the manufacturer of the STAR Ultrasonic Pest Repeller and several others.
"We won't let fraudsters take advantage of the public health crisis," Schneiderman said in a statement Thursday.
The designers of ultrasonic mosquito repellents believe the feathery antennae attached to the mosquito's head will pick up on the sound and scare them away. But there is not enough evidence for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support this.
To protect from mosquito bites, the CDC recommends the use of insect repellents that contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.
