Just received an email from my termite company to notify me they now offer "Smart" electronic rodent control. Researching this past all the marketing gobelly gook, it appears this system consists of a bunch of battery powered PIR sensors they place in narrow spaces where only rodent activity would trigger the sensor (ie behind a refrigerator, etc.) The sensors are connected to their "Smart Hub" which is connected to their "Office" via either cellular or internet. They have some program that monitors the activity on the sensors to alert them to where there may be rodent activity, so they can then send out a "technician."
Seems to me this is nothing more than some PIR sensors on a zigbee or zwave network connected to their server that has some sort of algorythm that x number of triggers of a certain PIR sensor = rodent activity.
For those with a rodent issue who want to learn where the rodents are (presumably so you can set a trap), this would probably be fairly easy to replicate with some small PIR sensors and Hubitat.
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I'd expect some of the more DIY style sensors would be more suited to this use-case, thinking stuff within the ESPHome ecosystem and alike, without ever delving into that space myself. I would think some of the housings on the more commercial sensors might be prohibitive in some cases.
Is a network of PIR sensors really needed to find and trap rodents in the house?
Last time a couple of mice made their way into our house, it was obvious enough they were here.
They mostly stuck with the area where they were most likely to scavenge food, the kitchen.
I put some old school mouse traps down that were baited with peanut butter along the wall baseboards (mice usually prefer not to scurry around in the open).
Took a few days to snap two mouse necks. No more rodent problem.
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DIY sensor has uses cases. A fee service is just playing on people's fear.
1, Garage entry and under car to assure rodents are not living in your car and eating your electronic cables (sadly, car electrical cables are environmentally friendly - therefore they have nutrients and are eaten by rodents).
- Attic for early detection of attic intrusion.
However, all of this is relatively unnecessary of you plug the holes and place repellent where you can not plug the holes. And this will not stop a bear incursion.
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Places not regularly populated, like a holiday home, could also be another case that would suit the use of sensors.
ROFLMAO. I do have a few spare contact sensors... But I try not to contact deadmaus as much as possible when handling my traps...
