Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ethan
From: ethan@ut-emx.UUCP (Ethan Tecumseh Vishniac)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Ultrasonic Pest Repellers
Summary: FTC?
Keywords: pest,fraud
Message-ID: <21447@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 27 Nov 89 16:50:45 GMT
References: <31929@buckaroo.mips.COM> <5123@tekcrl.LABS.TEK.COM>
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Lines: 22


I have recently had some indirect exposure to these issues.  My
wife was contacted by the Attorney General's office here in Texas
for her professional opinion on a related device.  While discussing
the case with me she casually dropped the comment that ultrasonic
devices had been examined by the FTC and found to be ineffective.
I don't know any exact references, but I suspect that the FTC
would (provided I understood the comment correctly).  The major
point was that while sufficiently high levels of ultrasonics would
bother many pests, it was relatively easy for them to shield themselves
in a variety of ways (mostly by getting something between them
and the source).  The end result was that the commercially available
devices would not protect you against pests under realistic conditions.


-- 
 I'm not afraid of dying     Ethan Vishniac, Dept of Astronomy, Univ. of Texas
 I just don't want to be     {charm,ut-sally,emx,noao}!utastro!ethan
 there when it happens.      (arpanet) ethan@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU
    - Woody Allen            (bitnet) ethan%astro.as.utexas.edu@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU

These must be my opinions.  Who else would bother?


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com