Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 3, 2010
What’ll they dream up next?
Riddex Plus
Misty S. Brown
At my best friend’s wedding, we all chuckled as her now husband vowed to carry her “princess-style through life” and later scooped her up during the recessional.
When they were first married, they lived in an apartment complex in an older neighborhood that is notorious for cockroaches. It does not matter what your socioeconomic level is or how well you keep your house clean, those little guys are everywhere, and she is deathly afraid of them. Since she is quite petite, her husband had no problem literally carrying her between the car and house so she would not have to be near them.
I won’t lie – I think cockroaches are downright disgusting creatures, but fortunately I am not afraid to crunch them and move on with my business, although mice are a different story.
In my current apartment nestled among pine trees and lots of vegetation, cockroaches are not uncommon to see there either. I woke up screaming one night as one crawled across my neck, and this was after both maintenance and I had sprayed for bugs.
When I told the apartment office about it the next day, they were quick to schedule another spraying in my apartment and the ones surrounding us. With poison traps set out and periodic sprays, I still have a difficult time nixing them completely. ’Course, they do say that cockroaches could survive a nuclear attack and live for a long time after their heads are cut off, which is not reassuring.
Recently I bought a pest repelling aid that might help put an end to the hardy little buggers and other pests that sometimes sneak into the house – the Riddex Plus.
What it is
The Riddex Plus is “the environmental alternative for safer pest control.” It is a device that works with the electric wiring within walls to drive away pests without toxins, chemicals and poisons.
How it works
The enclosed materials claim that through patented digital pulse technology, the device alters the normal field around a home’s in-wall wiring, which creates an irritating environment for pests that makes them try to flee. There are three lights on the Riddex Plus that serve different functions. The solid green light indicates the device is on and in working order. The blinking red light indicates whether the cycle is on or off in three-minute intervals. It will cycle continuously while it is plugged in. There is a built-in blue light that can be turned on or off for use as a night-light. One unit is effective for homes up to approximately 2,000 square feet.
Pros and cons
Operating a Riddex Plus does not require much skill – you just plug it into a 110-volt outlet somewhere that is centrally located in your home. If you have a two-story home, another unit might be necessary on another floor for maximum efficacy. Also, since one device works for a 2,000-square-foot home, larger homes will also require two or more units placed at opposite ends of the house.
The Riddex Plus unit is a little bit bulky and can cover an entire outlet if it isn’t plugged into the bottom outlet. It also has a non-removable imprint to indicate that it is a pest repellent, which might be unsightly in a common area. There is no indication on whether it can be used on an extension-cord strip.
The unit uses a high-frequency pulse that is undetectable for humans, fish, cats and dogs, but should not be used in homes with pet rodents and snakes. Since it is undetectable, however, it is difficult to prove that it is not just a glorified night-light.
The manufacturers claim that it has maximum effectiveness within the first seven days and that glue boards and traps may be used to help during the initial clean-up period. For people who are expecting to rid their homes of pests, this will seem unnerving since they might see increased activity by the pests as they try to leave the home.
Since it is an electronic device, commonsense precautions should be taken when using the device, including leaving six inches for sufficient ventilation around the unit. It should also not be exposed to dripping or splashing water, so it wouldn’t be good to use in a bathroom or kitchen area. Additionally, since it does require electricity that means one more thing will be using energy in your home.
The best thing about the Riddex Plus is that it does not require chemicals to be used for normal operation. This is especially nice for homes where there are pets and children or where someone might be allergic to the pesticides.
Since I have had this only for a week, I haven’t noticed any changes one way or the other in my home so I cannot fully attest to its efficacy. But for argument’s sake, I haven’t had a huge problem with bugs throughout my apartment recently – just the ones that sneak in under the front door. I have read that the unit is not effective outdoors since there isn’t much wiring outside. I was hoping that it would help keep bugs away from my second-story deck, but I have not seen a change there either, and I don’t expect to now that I know it isn’t very effective outdoors.
For those people who are concerned about saving the lives of bugs (not me – I will smash the smithereens out of them), but don’t want to cohabitate with them, this does not claim to kill bugs, but only drives them away.
Where to buy
The Riddex Plus is available at Walgreen’s for $14.99 plus taxes. For initial treatment, you might want to pick up a glue trap set to help catch some of the bugs and kill them as they make their way outside.
Submissions
Do you have a Riddex Plus? Send your comments to misty@dailydata.com.
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