Dealing with pests?

Just found out about the mosquito.
No, I'm not referring to the pesky little creatures that loves us all so much...

I was having a conversation with David Howard at the University of York on Monday, about being able to hear high frequencies.
I've just started using a squirrel scarer in the garden - it's a battery-operated box that emits a high-pitched squeal to scare them off (they've been tucking into the covering on our shed roof).

But there was something I wasn't expecting - I could hear it! The machine is supposed to emit sounds at 18,000 - 24,000 Hz, yet not only could I hear it, I could distinguish a pitch.

Now I'm 47, and at my age I'm not supposed to be able to hear that high. You are supposed to start losing that upper area of your hearing from your early 20s onwards.

Which brought the conversation around to the mosquito. It's a box developed by a British company to be used by councils and companies to scare away teenagers.

Yes, I know the ethos behind it is dodgy, but I did find the idea fascinating. The thought is that teenagers are able to hear 17,500 cycles per second easily, but adults aren't. So if you don't like groups of teenagers gathering around your buildings, just fit a mosquito and switch it on. The oscillating high pitch will drive them away!

I am a bit concerned that the machine treats all teenagers as if they were offenders. What are your thoughts on this?
Having said that, I understand that it has finally been proved that teenagers are chemically so far away from adults that they are actually a different species (I know some parents will be relieved to hear this).

However, it seems like the teenagers are one up on the councils - they can now download a "mosquito" ringtone for their mobiles, so they can call each other in class without the teacher hearing it.

What was I saying about pesky little creatures?

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