An innovative and completely Greek technological project comes to «clean» our summers from unwanted guests: mosquitoes and cockroaches. Apostolou Christos, a 28-year-old Greek app developer, has developed the first free mobile apps in Greece that repel these insects... with the power of sound!
Two applications - Two solutions:
🔊 Ksou Ksou: Repels mosquitoes with ultrasonic frequencies that are not perceived by the human ear but are particularly annoying to mosquitoes, causing their immediate removal.
🪳 KatsaridoKsouKsou: Application for cockroaches, with sounds and vibrations that have a deterrent effect on their movements and behaviour.
In both cases, the technology uses scientific data from international studies on insect responses to specific frequencies. The apps feature a choice between different types of sound and even ultraviolet-tinted light to make the screen act as a trap.
Easy to use, lightweight and safe
The applications do not require any special knowledge or complicated settings. One button is enough to start the pushback. They contain no chemicals, do not pollute the environment and are suitable for all ages.
Already over 500.000 downloads have been recorded since the summer of 2022. A Greek product that proves that innovation can have both humour and utility.
Download them for free:
Apps are downloaded from Dropbox and may be prompted for activation to install from «unknown sources». All instructions are available on the developer's website.
Christos Apostolou: «I created these apps because we have all experienced the discomfort of a cockroach bite or the shiver of a cockroach. My goal is a simple, clean and ecological solution for everyone.»
If you want to try something different, made in Greece and completely free, press a button... and make the bugs say Shoo Shoo!
Below is the Creator's press release:
KsouKsou - The first Greek free mobile apps that repel mosquitoes & cockroaches through sound!
Ksou Ksou & KatsaridoKsouKsou are the first Greek free mobile applications that give you the ability to repel any mosquito & cockroach around you with the press of a button. Does when mosquitoes & cockroaches appear every night in your yard or balcony, that's when you disappear? If you don't want to suffer any longer from «uninvited guests», press the button and chase them away! Trust me, you won't understand a thing. BUT THEY WILL DISAPPEAR!
The apps are available for free here:
How do they work?;
The app is easy to use and simple so it can be used by all ages. With the touch of a button, your speaker simply activates a sound file that the human ear cannot perceive because of the specific frequencies. However, the frequencies of the playing file are particularly annoying to mosquitoes & cockroaches. So all that's left is for him to run away! Also within the app you also have the option to use your screen as a point of attraction for mosquitoes with purple ultraviolet paint, so if the sound doesn't work, you can exterminate them yourself.
About the application for mosquito control:
Essentially the application produces sound from 12Hz to 40kHz. Our ear may perceive from 22Hz and above but nevertheless the lower frequencies for us are particularly annoying for mosquitoes. Of course, in Greece we have more than 60 species of mosquitoes so sometimes we may be wrong. Don't forget that the way the sound will affect them also depends on their appetite, the breeding season and the area. However, it works for the most part on these. We can all have an electronic mosquito repellent and without it being harmful to the environment.
It has been shown mainly in the past that low frequency sounds repel Aedes diantaeus NDK mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) according to D.N. Lapshin & D.D. Vorontsov. The whole function is based on the fact that they perceive such frequencies as part of their communication. In several experiments conducted in the past by D.N. Lapshin & D.D. Vorontsov, it was shown that there were strong mosquito avoidance behaviors at sounds in the 140-200 Hz range. Most of the mosquitoes fled from the area above the sound source within one second after the test signal was initiated. Mosquitoes flew mostly upward, sideways and backward relative to the test acoustic vector. Mosquitoes develop defensive behavior based on the analysis of acoustic information. The range of negative phonotaxis is limited to higher frequencies than the range of flight sounds of homologous females, and to the low-frequency range, by the increasing level of atmospheric noise. Females need the blood because it contains proteins necessary for the development of the eggs they carry. A single sting can contain up to 5 millilitres of blood. However, ultrasonic sounds have been shown to affect the majority of mosquitoes.
It has also been shown that the utilization of ultrasonic waves (Acheta domesticus) as mosquito biocontrol at Malang Agricultural Institute is real. The crickets have frequencies between 0.2 kHz and 50 kHz. Thus they have the ability to control the mosquito population. Existing studies report that mosquitoes can be repelled at a frequency of 18-48 kHz by cricket sounds. The effectiveness level of using crickets in the morning reached 60% and in the afternoon 80%.
The apps are available for free here:
On the application for the fight against cockroaches:
Certain sounds can repel cockroaches, but it is important to note that achieving a comprehensive solution usually requires a combined approach. Effective ways of repelling:
- High frequency sounds: According to this 2004 research, cockroaches react to high-frequency sounds (above 30 kHz), which cannot be perceived by the human ear. There are also reports that some types of cockroaches may feel insecure or anxious in environments with intense high frequency sounds, which are common in industrial areas or environments with high human traffic. According to this research, cockroaches are victims of attacks by various arthropods and spiders that use them as food. However, cockroaches can perceive sound stimuli at different frequencies and avoid their attackers. In this study, it was observed that cockroach nymphs and eggs avoid epithets that produce sounds at high frequencies, as their perception of these sounds is sensitive. Therefore, high frequency sounds can disturb cockroaches and prevent them from finding food or moving to a particular area. [Bell, W.J. and Roth, L.M., 2004. nymphs and eggs of cockroaches (Dictyoptera) as prey of invertebrates. entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 140(1683), pp.35-45]
- Vibration sounds: According to this 2008 study, cockroaches are sensitive to vibrations, so vibration sounds can repel cockroaches. Therefore, cockroaches can perceive vibration sounds and react to them with an avoidance response. Because cockroaches are sensitive to vibrations, they may be repelled by high-frequency sound waves that cause vibrations in their environment and disturb them. [Kim, D.K., Kim, Y.H., Jin, B.R. and Lee, S.H., 2008. A study on the frequency characteristics of vibration stimuli inducing escape behavior in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 11(2), pp.93-97]
The apps are available for free here:
These applications were created by Apostolou Christos.
For any information, please contact Christos Apostolou at capostolouagr@yahoo.com
