Laboratory and field trials with commercial ultrasonic devices against three ant species (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

摘要

Several reports have demonstrated the possibility of using ultrasound to manage or repel urban insect pests. Ballard et al. (1984) found that ultrasound increased the activity of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), in wooden enclosures. Like many other insects (Spangler 1988),'some ant species produce ultrasound, but its function is unknown (Esperson 1994). There arc no published reports on the responses of ants to ultrasound, despite claims made by manufacturers of ultrasonic devices that their units are effective in repelling ants. The Federal Trade Commission has urged manufacturers and retailers of ultrasonic pest control devices to examine their advertising and ensure that they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to support claims that an ultrasonic device eliminates or repels certain pests (Federal Trade Commission 2001).