Daily Paws for Columbus Ohio
Daily Paws Picture of the Day: Pretty Cat
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August 13th, 2012Daily Paws for Columbus Ohio
Daily Paws Picture of the Day: So Cute!
August 13th, 2012Daily Paws for Columbus Ohio
Do Sonic bug repellants work?
August 13th, 2012Personally, I don’t know of anyone who has not tried one of those sonic pest repellants. You know, those small plastic devices that plug into an outlet and are supposed to drive away roaches and rats and other annoying pests through the high pitched sound they emit.
We’ve tried them over time, not once but three different times, each time hoping they’d have an effect, ANY effect, on the problem. And each time the answer was nope.
It has been awhile since we even bothered with those things, but today I was reminded of them when I read this article on LifeHacker.com:
Stop Wasting Money on Sonic Bug Repellants: They Don’t Work
Sonic bug repellants, whether they’re supposed to ward of mosquitoes from your backyard BBQ or roaches and ants from inside your home, are largely based on junk science and wishful thinking, according to a Texas A&M entomologist who’s spent years studying the products. You’re better off keeping your money in your pocket, or just buying pest repellent that actually works.
Several years ago I moved into an apartment with a pretty bad bug problem we didn’t know about until it was too late. I ignored the warning signs and moved in anyway, only to find the place crawling with critters before I could even unpack my boxes. Not wanting to immediately unload cans of Raid and other chemical sprays and baits that could impact my health, I decided to give some wall-mounted sonic bug repellers a try that I picked up from my local big box hardware store. According to the package, all I had to do was plug them into a wall socket and the bugs would vanish. Suffice to say I had less than stellar results. Six months later, I broke lease and bailed on the place.
That’s just my experience, but Texas A&M University entomologist Dr. Roger Gold has spent over 20 years studying and debunking the myth of sonic bug repellants, from mobile apps that promise to keep bugs away by emitting an ultrasonic sound from your iPhone’s speakers to the wall-mounted ones I threw away a few bucks on. In an interview with Buzzfeed, he notes “Based on the testing we have done through the years, the claims of repelling insects [with sound] are unfounded.”
Gold has been testing devices since the 1990s, and he has yet to see one that works—mostly because different insect species perceive sound in different ways, and even those that may be annoyed by some types of sound eventually just get used to it after a while, like any other animal would. One 2002 study by Kansas State University showed 94dB sounds stressed Indian Meal Moths out enough that they didn’t have much success mating, but not enough that they left. Another 2006 study by the same team showed the devices had little to no effect on cockroaches, which backs up Gold’s own research. The moral of the story? Save your money and go buy traps, sprays, or call an exterminator—your money will be better spent.
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I agree 🙂
Daily Paws Picture of the Day: The Beautiful Lady
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Daily Paws Picture of the Day: So Elegant!
August 11th, 2012Daily Paws for Columbus Ohio
Pet Training Videos Can be Worth The Cost
August 10th, 2012
Because pet training is often thought of as being difficult and time-consuming to anyone who is new, many beginners will have a tendency to lose their focus when it comes to their pet training efforts. This happens quite often as there are all sorts of things to that must be considered, such as your hand movements when you train your pet, how loud your voice should be, whether or not to use a rough voice, trying not to get frustrated, how many treats to feed, which collars to use, what type of leashes to buy, and a ton of other tools just to get the job done. However, one tool that is often overlooked could easily be worth its weight in gold to the beginning pet trainer. The tool I speak of is the use of video.
There are two main ways that you can use video as a training tool for your pets. The first option is to buy videos of professional trainers working with dogs. This allows you to see and hear the exact steps that are being taken to train the dogs. Better videos will show you the entire training sessions. Do not settle for one that shows you a dog being all aggressive then cuts to another scene a week later where the dog is calm. You cannot verify what happened during that week.
In many cases, you should see some, if not noticeable results within 15-20 minutes of training depending on the lesson and dog. Better training videos will also show a variety of dogs being trained, and will show them in real-life situations. After all, what good is training your pet if the training does not work during your normal lifestyle?
The second method you can use video for is tracking your pet’s successes or failures. If you own a video camera, which many people do these days, consider video taping your sessions. This will also let you know if you are performing the training techniques as you should as well. There is no better way to scrutinize your methods than to watch yourself in a replay.
Keeping a video log of your pet’s training will make it easier for you to refer to training sessions at a later date, keep a record of progress, and maintain documentation of any mistakes. By using video as a training source you can learn how to train your pet better, faster, and more effectively.
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Jealous Cat
August 10th, 2012Columbus Ohio want a kiss too!
