The idea or concept behind ultrasonic repellers is actually quite simple. They emit a high-frequency tone or noise, usually in 15-20 kHz range and above. The bird approaches thinking everything is fine. It crosses the line where the sensors can detect their presence and suddenly, all you-know-what breaks loose.
Birds are very skittish anyway and the unexpected nature of the explosive noise and light adds to their fright, alarming them into flying away.
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Do Ultrasonic Repellers Really Work?
This is a little harder to answer. There are two kinds of evidence to consider in trying to answer this question; scientific research evidence and anecdotal evidence.
Scientific research evidence is the evidence that has been collected in rigorous, carefully planned studies that should take place under controlled conditions, or at least in conditions where all the possible variables have been accounted for and taken into consideration.
The research to acquire this sort of evidence requires a great deal of time and money to conduct. In other words, it’s time-consuming and expensive.
Consequently, very little research of this type has actually been done. There are some articles on university websites that talk about repellers, usually denigrating them, but we’ve noticed they rarely quote any actual studies.
They claim studies have been done but when you dig into it, there aren’t any rigorous studies. What little research has been done is almost anecdotal itself. Anecdotal evidence is the evidence from first-hand, eyewitness testimony of people who have used the devices at their home or business and can tell you what happened to them.
When considering the weight of anecdotal evidence, remember this is the same sort of evidence that is admissible in a court of law to find someone guilty or not guilty of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
In civil trials, the verdict often hinges on what is called the “preponderance of evidence” standard, and it can be enough to justify handing out fines of tens of millions of dollars in some cases. So anecdotal evidence is actually very good, solid evidence that can certainly be considered.
The anecdotal evidence seems to be about 60%-40% in favor of ultrasonic repellers working. A lot of their success hinges on the placement of them and how many are being used. If you are not totally convinced about ultrasonic bird repellers, there are other ways to keep birds away.
How Should Ultrasonic Repellers Be Used To Remove Birds?
As mentioned earlier, the most annoying sounds are the undulating, back-and-forth types of noises like European police sirens. Those sirens were specifically designed to be annoying and attention-grabbing, by the way.
That’s what you want to be done with ultrasonic repellers. For this reason, we recommend getting a minimum of two repellers at a time. Three or four would be ideal, but two is the bare minimum you should get.
Set them up so their range overlaps by about 2/3’s but far enough apart that they won’t be triggered at the same time. Then, when the birds fly into the “trigger zone” they’ll be hit with different noises and flashes of light from two different directions, all of which are out of sync with each other – creating that undulating, alternating noise that will drive the birds crazy.
Place the repellers against a solid wall or large tree trunk. This will bounce the sound waves back into the open area in front of the device. Whatever you do, don’t put them down on the ground even if the directions state that you can.
Read Also: What’re The Best Pigeon Repellents?
The closer they are to the ground the more “clutter” there will be to break up the frequencies. You’re trying to frighten away birds that are flying in the air so putting the repellers on the ground seems counter-productive anyway.
Many of the repellers allow you to set different frequencies when you turn them on. If possible, turn each repeller to a different frequency to increase the “police siren” effect. You might even consider getting several repellers, one from each of several different manufacturers.
Experiment with different settings, placements, and patterns. Just because you’re not getting results one way, doesn’t mean you won’t get good results by using them in a new configuration. Play with it a little bit. Do your own research. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Read Also: Top 6 Best Ultrasonic Animal and Pest Repellers
Top 4 Best Ultrasonic Bird Repellents
As a quick recap, here are the top 5 ultrasonic bird repellents we looked at. Our #1 pick goes to the Careland Ultrasonic Animal Repeller because of the solar panel/USB options for charging the batteries.
- Careland Ultrasonic Animal Repeller
- CLEANRTH Ultrasonic Bird Repeller
- 60s Ultrasonic Bird Repeller
- DNR Tech. Electronic Bird Repeller
Careland Ultrasonic Animal Repeller
Unlike other ultrasonic repellers, this powerful model from Careland features three sides, and it works by sending ultrasonic waves that only birds can hear. It also uses flashing lights and audible sounds.
Its distinctive design features a USB port. However, you don’t need it on sunny days because it’s mostly solar-powered.
The Careland Ultrasonic Animal repeller is a humane alternative to trapping, and you can use it in most weather conditions.
CLEANRTH Ultrasonic Bird Repeller
This is a motion-activated sonic/ultrasonic repeller for birds that includes powerful LED strobe lights to scare them away. The sonic alarm is audible to you and me, whereas the ultrasonic noises are only audible to the birds and other critters.
The LED’s are dazzling and painful to the eyes, which will discourage all sorts of birds and pests. The high-intensity sounds and LED’s are adjustable for best results.
This includes something called “Triple Scan Technology” which allows it to detect motion out to distances of 115 feet for 12,000 square feet of detection area coverage.
It can be set to three different modes: always off, detection mode, and always on. The detection mode is probably the preferred mode since it will turn itself on only when it detects motion in the area, then turn itself off again when the birds leave.
Be careful of where you place this device. Depending on what reflective or sound-absorbing surfaces are nearby, it could work wonderfully or not at all. It runs off of batteries or can be plugged in.
It can also be mounted on a wall or tree, it can set up free-standing. It is water-resistant but not weatherproof.
60s Ultrasonic Bird Repeller
This ultrasonic bird repeller has enough power to chase any bird species away from your yard. It also works on the following animals:
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Rodents
- Foxes
- Cats
Ultrasonic devices use no harmful chemicals or pesticides, and they work by sending a high-frequency ultrasound to repel birds and animals. It also uses flashing lights and an optional alarm bell.
The 60s Ultrasonic Bird Repeller holds up to even the toughest weather conditions, and it will even last up to five days on a single solar charge.
Place a few on your lawn to chase away even the most stubborn yard pests. It’s safe for most animal species, including pets, and it won’t harm the environment.
DNR Tech. Electronic Bird Repeller
The DNR Tech Electronic Bird repeller utilizes the latest technology to help get rid of birds in your yard or garden. It employs a high-frequency ultrasound with intermittent lights to scare away even the most stubborn species.
What’s unique about this repeller is that it will rotate frequencies so birds can’t adapt to it. In addition, it uses infrared light to detect most animals automatically.
It’s made of sturdy construction and will resist most types of weather. Also, it comes with a one-year money-back guarantee.
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