Can Mosquitoes Be Repelled by Sound?

Various devices have been marketed for years, promising to repel mosquitoes by emitting sound that they dislike. But the scientific evidence is mixed. Some claim to mimic the flight sound of dragonflies and bats, while others broadcast sounds of predatory insects.

The yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, is a common insect throughout the world. It lives in warmer areas, including the Mediterranean, North Africa, and tropical Africa. It’s referred to as a yellow fever mosquito because it can transmit malaria.

Male and female mosquitoes respond to each other’s wing beat frequencies. They change the frequency in response to each other, and the higher the frequency, the more aggressive the mosquito. Depending on the time of year, their activities may be affected by weather or other factors.

Ultrasonic mosquito repellants are battery-powered or plug-in electronic devices that emit a sound wave that mosquitoes don’t like. They’ve been around for decades, and have never proven effective in tests.

One theory suggests that male and female mosquitoes respond to the same wing beat frequencies, and that whatever sound mimics the flight sound of a male will repel a female. Several companies are marketing products that produce ultrasound sound, but they’ve been unable to prove that it works.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts are working on a device called Hour72+ that will repel mosquitoes with a frequency that’s too low to penetrate skin. They won a $75,000 Grand Prize in Harvard Business School’s New Venture Competition for the device.

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