The smell of mothballs, which bring back memories of visits to grandmother's house for so many people, is repulsive for squirrels. If you have a squirrel issue within and around your home, you can place mothballs around your flowers or even in areas around the yard, including the attic.
Yes, but they are not environmentally friendly and often kill pests rather than deter them. Let's take a look below at some alternatives to moth ball usage in or around our home.
Now that we know more about them, we'll discuss the scents they hate! The scents on this list are: Peppermint Oil, Capsaicin, Coffee Grounds, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cinnamon, Predator Urine, Irish Springs Soap, Dryer Sheets, and Rosemary.
Mothballs should not be used inside attics, crawl spaces, gardens, trash cans or vehicles. "Often, mothballs are used in these locations to control pests other than clothes moths," Stone said. They include squirrels, skunks, deer, mice, rats, dogs, cats, raccoons, moles, snakes, pigeons and a variety of other animals.
They're said to dislike the scent of coffee grounds and peppermint, or you could make up your own recipe with vinegar, garlic and onions or peppermint oil to spray in the garden. Chilli flakes and pepper might put them off, so try a sprinkling of these – it's often used to keep squirrels off bird feeders.
Peppers have “capsaicin” which squirrels hate, so it's a natural squirrel deterrent. Or, make a pepper spray; you can mix dried pepper with apple cider vinegar.
The fumes from mothballs kill clothes moths, their eggs and larvae that eat natural fibers in indoor storage areas, such as closets, attics and basements. Mothballs are not intended to be used outdoors. The active ingredients can contaminate water and soil, harm wildlife, and contribute to air pollution.
Mothballs are illegal to use outside because they are made of naphthalene, which is a toxic substance. Naphthalene is known to cause cancer in humans, and it is also harmful to the environment. Mothballs are also known to be ineffective at repelling insects, so there is no point in using them.
Common Illegal Pesticide Products. Illegal naphthalene moth repellent products -- mothballs -- are hazardous to young children. Mothballs can easily be mistaken for candy, or simply tempt young children to touch and play with them. Recent studies link naphthalene to illnesses, including nasal cancer.
Yes, Irish Spring soap can help to keep squirrels away. The scent of the soap is unpleasant for the animals and will prevent them from entering your home or yard. You can use either a liquid soap solution or shave bars of Irish Spring and sprinkle it around areas that squirrels are known to frequent.
One of their most feared predators is the common fox. While you don't have to get a pet fox to keep squirrels out of your yard, you can create the illusion of a fox nearby. Fox urine can be purchased at almost any hunting and fishing supply store and is an excellent squirrel deterrent.
One solution is to put vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on the areas squirrels most commonly visit. Another option is to soak rags or cloths in the vinegar of your choosing and place them throughout your garden.
Using mothballs in an attempt to deter squirrels is a bad idea for several reasons. In order for a "mothball treatment" to be effective you would have to cover all areas of your attic with them. Once this is done the mothballs will give off heavy fumes and may or may not discourage the resident squirrels.
Chipmunks are not fond of mothballs. Place mothballs around the foundation of your house and in any known chipmunk holes. This will not kill the critters, but they'll begin to notice the neighborhood isn't very friendly. Anther helpful deterrant is bloodmeal, which you can sprinkle around.
Mothballs are sometimes used as a pest control method in gardens, but their use is not without controversy. Some people believe that mothballs can help to keep pests away from roses and other plants, while others believe that mothballs can actually be harmful to plants.
Mothballs are occasionally thrown in gardens and lawns to keep away pets and other animals. However, mothballs are ineffective in repelling wildlife in outdoor areas such as rats, mice, squirrels, bats, snakes, or other wildlife.
Mothballs should not be placed in closets, attics, basements, storage chests or trunks, garment bags or other spaces other than in tightly closed containers as explained above. Gasses from the mothballs escape into the air and can cause respiratory problems.
One mothball in open air takes 3-6 months to dissipate entirely. If you place the mothball underneath clothing or otherwise not in open air, it will take up to 12 months to completely dissipate.
Mothballs are commonly thought to repel snakes, but they are not intended to be used this way and have little effect on snakes.
Use a taste repellent: Spraying a squirrel repellent composed of garlic, water, and vinegar around the perimeter of your home can discourage squirrels from entering. Use a motion-activated sprinkler system: A motion-activated sprinkler system will spray animals any time they come close to your yard.
Farnam Just One Bite (for the bromadiolone active ingredient at 0.005%) is so named because it only requires one bite to take effect. This is the second version of the bait (that's the “II”), mainly just an upgrade in how it tastes. Like the first two on the list, it works well either inside or outside.
To protect your pet, use statues and silhouette cutouts of natural predators to scare squirrels away from your home. Fake owls, foxes and hawks may deter squirrels from venturing too close to your property. You may also use motion sensor floor lights to deter squirrels from your property at night.