Does Repellio work behind furniture or do I need to move things around?

I think people overestimate how much a couch actually blocks these things. Sound waves bounce around a room, they don’t travel in a straight line like a flashlight beam. I wouldn’t rearrange your living room just for this.

I don’t think you need to move everything. I had mine behind a floor lamp and a side table for a while and still noticed fewer ants in that room after a few weeks. If the couch is pressed right against the wall where it’s plugged in, maybe try a different outlet, but I wouldn’t rearrange furniture over it.

I get the concern about the couch blocking it, but I think you’re fine leaving things where they are. I have mine in the hallway near a bunch of stuff and it still seems to do its job. Honestly, the sound goes around corners in my experience, so I wouldnt stress about moving furniture.

I had mine wedged between the TV stand and a stack of old books for a month and never moved it. I figured if it was truly blocked I’d find out by seeing zero change. The ants that used to come in by the back door did taper off, so something was getting through. I think the couch or bookshelf being in the way matters less than people think, the unit is sending sound out into the room, not just straight ahead. If you’re seeing a difference in activity, I’d leave everything where it is. If absolutely nothing changes after a few weeks, then maybe try a different outlet. But I wouldn’t rearrange furniture just for this.

I think the whole “blocked by furniture” thing gets blown out of proportion. I run mine in the kitchen and it’s tucked behind the toaster, which sits under a cabinet. If anything, that’s worse than a couch because it’s basically enclosed on three sides. Still saw fewer ants around the sink area within a couple weeks, so something was getting through.

The way I look at it, these things emit constantly, so even if the sound is somewhat deflected or absorbed by a bookshelf, it’s not like it has to blast through everything in one straight line. It bounces around the room. A couch is not a solid wall. Neither is a bookshelf unless it’s one of those massive built-in units that goes floor to ceiling. I wouldn’t rearrange my living room for it.

That said, I also didn’t expect it to be some miracle device that covers every corner perfectly. I just wanted less pest activity in the main areas and that’s what I got. If you’re worried, give it another couple weeks before you judge it. And if you really want peace of mind, just plug it into a different outlet that’s more in the open. No need to move furniture, just move the device itself to a socket that faces the room rather than being hidden behind something. Took me five seconds to do that and I didn’t have to touch a single piece of furniture.

I moved mine around a few times and honestly could never tell a difference in how often I saw anything in the kitchen. The only thing I noticed is that it seems louder, or at least more noticeable, when it’s in a smaller room. I think the furniture blocking it matters less than just having enough open space around the unit itself, but that’s just a guess.

I’d say the couch and bookshelf are probably not completely killing it, but I wouldn’t count on it being full strength behind solid stuff either. I had mine near a heavy curtain and a cabinet for a while, and I never really saw anything change until I moved it closer to the open floor. If you’re not seeing activity now, it might be worth just testing one spot without the furniture in the way before you go moving everything.

If you don’t want to move furniture around, I wouldn’t stress about it too much. From what I’ve seen, these things bounce sound off walls and stuff pretty well, but I think the couch would still block some of it if it’s right in the path. I’d probably just leave it where it is for another week and see if you notice anything.

Ultrasound doesn’t care much about a couch. It bounces around until it fades, so unless that bookshelf is wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, the signal still gets out. I’d leave it where it is and judge it on whether you’re actually seeing pests, not on the furniture layout.