The Mosquito ultrasonic teenage deterrent

ALFIET

All

After enduring months and months of severe anti social behaviour around the businesses and homes in our area, and with limited powers of the Gardai to deal with them we are looking at putting up a "Mosquito ultrasonic teenage deterrent"

The only thing is while i have heard it can work, i know nothing more about them....

Any advice?

Are they harmful to pets?
Are they harmful to babies?
Are they sensor activated?
Etc

Any help/ experience would be great

Thanks

Paulw

I believe that our resident's association looked in to them, only to be informed by the Gardai that they are illegal to use in Ireland. Something to do with the broadcasting frequency or something.

ALFIET

Hi PaulW- thanks for that.... i thought i had heard that also,..

Just wondering ... how did you tackle the problem then?

Any advice is welcome... the residents/ businesses are at the end of their tethers.

Sesshoumaru

That device looks amazing! A non lethal method to disperse teenage pests

Paulw

People power.

Teens hate hanging around where adults are. When they start hanging around ask them to move on. When they won't/don't, then just get 2-3 adults to stand around there too ... and the teens soon get fed up of being in the company of adults, and they move on.

Kipperhell

I think they are illegal because they are considered assault on the basis of age. If they are not at least one equal rights group wanted it. Pretty sure it is not harmful to anybody just annoying. Pets would become used to it as a would a baby. They could be illegal in this country but if not and teenager saw you had one they might be less than friendly.

ALFIET

Yeah at this stage though we dont care about them!!!

They are very initimidating and have put other locals in hospital

people power wont work with them ... we are already living in fear- they dont care

Paulw

In that case - Gardai, Gardai, Gardai. Every time a few of them gather, call the Gardai and report them for loitering. Contact your local Superintendent. Contact the Community Officer (Garda) if possible. Request frequent Garda patrols of the area. More than anything else - ring the Gardai at every chance, and log the details.

Getting the local TDs and public representatives on your side also helps to put pressure on the Gardai.

Boom_Bap

i heard a rumour that they have one of these installed outside the Rotunda hospital to deter smokers.

dudara

AFAIK as I know they don't work on adults. Your ears become less sensitive with time.

ALFIET

yeah we have spent the last 12 months doing all you suggest Paulw to no avail, we call guards all the time. we are on first name terms with all the relevant people policitians, guards, etc etc
and yet nightly we have gangs of youths in and around the estate

ALFIET

i suppose we were just hoping that there was some avenue we hadnt tried that others had used ... the mosquito thing was one suggestion.
another is the anti climb paint.

leeroybrown

It depends on the adult. I have quite sensitive high-frequency hearing and I know other adults who are similar. They're over 100dB and can still be heard by a lot of people in their early 20's so the businesses involved might be putting themselves in a situation where they have an obligation to provide hearing protection to staff. Do you really want babies and children in the area permanently exposed to noise at that level?

I'd certainly be willing to make official complaints if someone put one up somewhere I had to spend time.

gerkeo

i'm 31 and can hear them very clearly outside Mc Donalds and supermacs where i live.

Also at a party last year, 30 or so people there all around my age, i had the mosquito ringtone and when i switched it on everyone bar one person heard it.

silverharp

classical music works as well ;-)

ALFIET

they can be used where they are not on permanently... they only come on for a while and can be remote activated too.

i suppose it is a case if it is legal and then which is the lesser of two evils... antisocial youths or an annoying noise for a while now and again

Xiney

I'm 23 and I can still hear them.

Some of your residents may be able to as well, in that case.

gerire

Paulw wrote: »

I believe that our resident's association looked in to them, only to be informed by the Gardai that they are illegal to use in Ireland. Something to do with the broadcasting frequency or something.

The actual reason that they are illegal as it is "assault" on the person, So i would be very cautious about going down this route. However the other options about continually getting onto your local station, Community Policing section and local Superintendant if needs be

Section 2 Non Fatal offences against the person Act 97
Assault.

2.—(1) A person shall be guilty of the offence of assault who, without lawful excuse, intentionally or recklessly—

( a ) directly or indirectly applies force to or causes an impact on the body of another, or

( b ) causes another to believe on reasonable grounds that he or she is likely immediately to be subjected to any such force or impact,

without the consent of the other.

(2) In subsection (1)(a), "force" includes—

( a ) application of heat, light, electric current, noise or any other form of energy, and

( b ) application of matter in solid liquid or gaseous form.

iguana

As has been suggested piping classical music into the area tends to be very effective in reducing anti-social behaviour. I know it sounds like a joke, but it's proven itself time and again in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4154711.stm

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=classical+music+anti-social+behaviour&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

January

Boom_Bap wrote: »

i heard a rumour that they have one of these installed outside the Rotunda hospital to deter smokers.

Yeah, that is just that, a rumour. They couldn't use one of those outside a hospital. Especially a maternity hospital as the risks are unknown as to whether it could damage any unborn fetus...

F-Stop

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Yeah, that is just that, a rumour. They couldn't use one of those outside a hospital. Especially a maternity hospital as the risks are unknown as to whether it could damage any unborn fetus...

What? It's just an irritating noise played at a frequency that is still audible to teens becuase their ears haven't desensitised. Same way that kids hate mustard because their tastebuds are more sensitive. It wouldn't deter adults from smoking because the majority wouldn't hear it, and even if they did smokers would put up with a loud house alarm (which wouldn't make a foetus explode) to have a smoke (I know I would). Also the foetus is inside an aqueous environment so the sound level would be totally different. We're talking about a soundwave, not radiation or x-rays or the call of cthulhu. What is this, Joe Duffy?

leeroybrown

F-Stop wrote: »

We're talking about a soundwave, not radiation or x-rays or the call of cthulhu. What is this, Joe Duffy?

No we're taking at a fairly intense high frequency sound. Just because there isn't a 'loud' sound doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of energy. There is plenty of research that shows that an unborn child's hearing may be quite vulnerable to sound in the last three or four months of pregnancy. It's extremely difficult to quantify but medical opinion is tending in that direction.

About the only thing about those Mosquito units that has been tested is that they annoy teenagers (and adults with intact high frequency hearing like me). I wouldn't put up with one being installed near me.

F-Stop

OK. Same way that cell phones and wireless routers make your brains melt. Gotcha. "Difficult to quantify", "inconclusive studies", "assault". FFS, kids are using this on their phones so their parents and teachers can't hear it ringing.

OMG they are bullying their classmates and self aborting with their mobiles!!!!

leeroybrown

Kids use a much much lower intensity version on their phones. In order to be very effective those Mosquito units need to push out around 100dB.

F-Stop

The sound intensity of 100dB is about equivalent to a ipod at full volume. 110dB is front row at a gig.
130dB is the threshold of pain.
160dB is perforation of the eardrum.
OMG, won't someone think of the children.

January

F-Stop wrote: »

The sound intensity of 100dB is about equivalent to a ipod at full volume. 110dB is front row at a gig.
130dB is the threshold of pain.
160dB is perforation of the eardrum.
OMG, won't someone think of the children.

Yes and pregnant women are recommended to stay away from speakers at gigs for the very reason...

F-Stop

But, as my post that you quoted noted, these are not at the same dB levels as rock concerts. So...???

leeroybrown

The best comparison is the workplace. If noise levels are likely to exceed 85dB employees must be informed of potential damage to their hearing, provided hearing protection and the employer must take steps to reduce the noise. 100dB is a decent step up from that.

F-Stop

True, if you are working there 8 hours a day, five days a week - hence the regulations. This is ridiculous, it really is like Joe Duffy.

ZeeeeeeeeeeeZeeeeeeeeeeZeeeeeeeeeeeeZeeeeeeeeeeeeeZeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

leeroybrown

Yes. Some residents, workers in the area, people's own children will be spending extended lengths of time within range of these devices.

Victor

Can we keep the posting constructive?