So the back story to this is I came across this competition and with it, the notion of electronic ultrasonic sound effecting animals in a way unknownst to us. After my first attempt at it, I found myself left with a cool electronic paperweight and so was somewhat discourged.
However I heard recently that one of my relatives was having trouble with mice, the particular trouble was that they weren't actually in the house itself where you might stand a chance of catching them but instead between the floorboards and ceiling and potentially wall's.
So at a recent family gathering the all the men decided to discuss ideas as to how to exterminate these cunning creatures who had begun to take a liking to chewing out the wiring in my poor uncles house, taking lights, showers and T.V.'s out simply by stopping the flow of power to them from within the walls, this being made a worse problem as no electrician wanted the job of getting between those same walls to fix them.
The Conclusion of all the great men in my family combined as the women were discussing what to do if the mice got at the lovely curtains or gorgeous oak kitchen units, was that it was time to call in the professionals.
After being qouted some incredible prices my auntie and uncle were begining to think it would be cheaper the to let the mice have the godforsaken house(Nature 1 vs. Man 0).
Any way an exterminator was paid and the poor creatures were left to their faith.
However upon a recent resurgence of the mice in several rooms of the house all hope was again lost, I quietly asked if I could test my device in one of their rooms and so far having now tried three different rooms over the course of a month, they feel its had such success that they want them fitted one or two to a room to every room in the house and now even the neighbours are trying to get in on the act.
My device is simple an arduino connected to a ping, running on one of the simplest of sketches that I could find on the internet, with very slight modifications just to increase range and delay times. As far as I know it generates a frequency of around 40kHz, which as far as I know is a frequency, such as one might expect from a young mouse when in distress, which was actually a total and utter fluke; of all the frequncies that it could have emitted it was that one.
But just before I go any further I would just like some opinions does this all sound reasonable to you out there in the know because I just cant believe what I'm hearing about these so called miracle devices and in all honesty I don't want to waste any of my relatives hard owned money as so far Arduino's have only been borrowed or have been my own and well my uncle would also have to consider the cost of labour, i.e. you wouldnt believe how many cups of tea/coffee and family meals I would expect to be invited over for after a favour such as this
.
Anyway Thanks Guys!
P.s. Martin hard luck about your time in Dublin, tis as the folk songs sing a "dirty aul town" and this country has so much more too it, not that I'm saying Cork is infinately more beautiful and friendly than that so called "metropolitan city" but definately out west was worth a look, hope you managed to make it out that way as well because that city can often provide the wrong impression altogether of my country to the wandering man.
Im sure the irish tourism board would love this.
