Keeping squirrels away from your garden can be tough. Home and garden owners are therefore always on the lookout for things that can be used to keep squirrels away.
One idea is using mothballs in the garden. But, will Mothballs Keep Squirrels Away?
Squirrels may be small, but they can wreak a lot of havoc on your garden.
Not only will squirrels munch on any fruits or vegetables that you have growing in your yard, but they’ll also eat seedlings and dig holes in planting beds.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to keep squirrels out of your garden
While mothballs are often used to keep away moths indoors, you can also use them as a deterrent for outdoor pests.
Although mothballs can be very effective, they may not be your best option for a squirrel repellant. Mothballs are toxic and can be dangerous to children and pets.
If you’re thinking about using mothballs as a squirrel repellant, you’ll want to make sure you understand what they are and how they work.
Once you have a better understanding of mothballs, you can decide if you want to use them to keep the squirrels out.
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Can Mothballs Keep Squirrels Away?
Mothballs can keep squirrels away. Squirrels have a powerful sense of smell, which means they can be repelled by odors. Mothballs have a strong, sweet scent that squirrels hate. If you place mothballs in your yard, squirrels will stay away from that location until the smell starts to fade.
What Are Mothballs?
Mothballs are a pesticide with a strong, sweet odor and a ball-like shape.
The chemicals used in mothballs can vary, but most mothballs contain either naphthalene or dichlorobenzenes.
While mothballs are intended to repel moths, they can be a deterrent to rodents as well. They have a strong scent that many creatures dislike.
Some mothballs are white, while others have bright colors. Children can mistake mothballs for candy, which makes them especially dangerous.
How Can You Use Mothballs to Keep Out Squirrels?
The smell of mothballs is enough to repel squirrels.
If you place mothballs in a part of your yard you want squirrels to stay away from, the squirrels won’t come close.
However, before you place mothballs in your yard, you should be aware that naphthalene is considered to be a hazardous substance.
Some states have restrictions on how this pesticide can be used and may not allow it to be used outdoors.
The Pros and Cons of Using Mothballs to Repel Squirrels
Like any form of pest repellant, there are benefits and drawbacks to using mothballs.
It is critical to consider the advantages and disadvantages before you start using this pesticide in your yard.
Pros
- Easy to use: Mothballs are a popular pest repellant because they don’t require much effort. You simply need to place mothballs in your preferred location and change them out every so often.
- Control: Using mothballs allows you to repel squirrels from specific parts of your yard. You can place the mothballs in the exact location you want squirrels to stay out of.
- Inexpensive: Mothballs don’t require a big investment and don’t require you to change your yard in any way.
Cons
- Hazardous: Mothballs are a pesticide, and like all pesticides, they’re toxic. It’s best to only use mothballs as directed on the label.
- Poisonous: Children may mistake mothballs for candy, which makes them particularly dangerous. If mothballs are ingested, they could cause serious side effects, including kidney and liver damage.
- Damaging to Soil: The chemicals in mothballs are slowly released as a gas. These chemicals can seep into your soil, contaminating it and causing serious damage.
- Easy to Misplace: Mothballs are round and can easily roll away. Not only can this move mothballs away from the location where you’ve placed them, but this could cause you to lose track of mothballs that you want to remove.
Is It Worth It to Use Mothballs to Keep Out Squirrels?
Mothballs can keep away squirrels, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile to use a pesticide in your garden.
Not only are mothballs toxic, but they can contaminate your yard and could ultimately cause more damage than they prevent.
In addition to these risks, mothballs can be extremely dangerous, especially you allow children or pets to spend time in your yard.
Instead of using mothballs to keep away squirrels, it’s best to focus on other, safer methods of keeping out squirrels.
Traps and fencing can both be used to keep away squirrels, but if you’d prefer to use scents as a repellant, mothballs are far from your only option.
As a matter of fact, there are many natural scents that squirrels can’t stand.
The Best Natural Odors That Can Keep Squirrels Away
Squirrels hate the smell of mothballs, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other odors that you can use to keep squirrels out.
If you have a squirrel problem, you may want to try one of these non-toxic and natural scents that squirrels dislike.
Peppermint Oil
The smell of peppermint oil is appealing to humans, but it’s hated by squirrels.
You can keep squirrels away by spraying diluted peppermint oil around your yard or soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and placing them in the areas you want the squirrels to avoid.
Cinnamon Oil
While ground cinnamon is an effective squirrel repellant, it needs to be used in bulk for best results.
Thankfully, you can get the same effect by spraying cinnamon oil around your yard.
Pepper
Spicy scents are a big turn-off for squirrels. While you can use any type of pepper to repel squirrels, black pepper tends to be the most effective.
Garlic
Garlic is known for its strong scent, and that overpowering smell can be unbearable for squirrels.
Try crushing up cloves of garden and placing the cloves near the plants you want to protect.
Coffee Grounds
Not only do coffee grounds have a smell that squirrels can’t stand, but they can also serve as a fertilizer.
Mothballs can harm your soil, but coffee grounds may be useful in maintaining the health of your plants.
Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent natural squirrel repellant, but you’ll want to be careful about how you use it. Because it’s acidic, it has the potential to harm fragile plants.
That’s why it’s best to heavily dilute vinegar with water before spraying it across your yard.
Flies are attracted to apple cider vinegar, so it’s best to use white vinegar to repel squirrels.
Frequently Asked Questions About Will Mothballs Keep Squirrels Away
Will Mothballs Hurt Squirrels?
Mothballs contain strong chemicals, which means eating a mothball could be fatal to a squirrel.
However, because rodents hate the smell of mothballs, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever try to eat them.
How Often Should Mothballs Be Replaced?
Mothballs usually start to lose their scent after about four weeks.
It’s best to replace mothballs regularly so that they will continue to repel squirrels from your yard. Mothballs are one of many tools you can use to repel squirrels.
If you’d prefer to avoid the drawbacks of using mothballs, there are plenty of other ways you can keep squirrels away.