As several insect pests grow increasingly resistant to insecticides, entirely new insect pests are being introduced into the country. Brown marmorated stink bugs, Tawny crazy ants, Asian needle ants, Asian subterranean termites, Turkestan cockroaches and dark rover ants are just a few non-native insect pests that have established a habitat within the US during the last few decades. Also, climate change is already causing southern-dwelling insect pests to move farther north where the climate has historically been too cold to allow for their survival.
Some of the pests migrating north into new areas include red imported fire ants, black widows, disease-spreading sandflies, and several mosquito and termite species. In fact, experts estimate that half of all animal species in the US are currently migrating north due to global warming, and if this trend continues, scorpions may become common pests in Washington. In short, the pest control industry will never go out of business, and this is why some enterprising entrepreneurs will always try to make a quick buck by introducing a worthless pest control product to the market.
Currently, there are several pest control products on the market that many people cannot help but to find dubious, and some common pest control products have already been proven ineffective. Some of the more ridiculous pest control products available today include ultrasonic pest repellents, citronella candles, bug zapper and total release foggers. One patented pest control product that has not yet gained popularity is the electrified tablecloth. This product is made of electrically insulated material that contains wires and takes regular batteries. The tablecloth delivers a non-fatal electric pulse to insects that make contact with it, and it means to keep insects out of people’s food. Another patented device is meant to lure mosquitoes to an “attractant zone” by emitting sounds that mimic a heartbeat. Once mosquitoes make contact with censors in the attractant zone, an “eradication system” is activated, killing the winged pests. Although many questionable pest control products are sold today, the two products described above are a bit of a stretch.
Have you ever used a pest control product that failed to deliver?