As Seen on TV

 

Frequently we hear about these “as seen on TV” products that are designed to ward off various pests around the home. You know the ones we’re talking about: The devices that emit a certain sound frequency, or those fake owls and other predators that are designed to scare away small birds and rodents.

So you might be wondering: Do these products actually work?

From what we’ve heard from our customers, it’s a toss-up. Sometimes people say they purchased one of these “as seen on TV” products, and it worked great. Others are disappointed, report that the product was a complete failure, and feel like they wasted their money.

The bottom line is that these products are always a gamble. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t.

Another problem with certain products, particularly the fake “predators” that are meant to scare pests away from your home, is that they work well for only a short period of time. Animals can be pretty smart, and sooner or later they figure out that your “owl” isn’t actually trying to eat them! They lose their fear, and therefore the product loses its effectiveness.

Another problem is that the predator much match the pest. Otherwise your pest won’t be afraid of it. Pigeons, for example, won’t be scared away by a fake owl, because owls typically don’t prey upon pigeons. So now you need a hawk or some other bird of prey. You could end up with a whole host of phony “predators” hanging around your home, and in the end your pests figure out they aren’t real, anyway.

So it’s okay to experiment with these “as seen on TV” products, if you don’t mind risking a bit of money. Sometimes they do work, especially if you don’t have a bad pest problem to begin with. Most of the time, though, you’re better off calling an expert for professional treatment of your home.