Do Mothballs Keep Raccoons Away?

Here, we want to find out if mothballs can be used to keep raccoons away.

Mothballs are quite useful for killing fiber insects as well as moths. These insecticides release vapors that permeate the targeted area, thus keeping pests at bay.

These aren’t insects or moths. However, there has been a steady inclusion of other pests into the list of those that can be repelled using this insecticide product.

Notice that instead of killing as in the case of cloth moths and fiber insects, we’re talking about repelling for certain animals.

Using Mothballs For Raccoons

These animals are creatures that come around human dwellings and cause property damage.

Like a lot of pests, raccoons have adapted to living with humans. These pests are naturally drawn to the convenience of shelter as well as trash cans which are seen as sources of food.

Raccoons cause a lot of damage by digging up holes in lawns, thus ruining your cherished landscape. This means you’ll have to spend significant amounts of money to fix your lawns when these pests are ignored.

Not only will raccoons damage your lawns, but they also chew on any plant they find including young tree barks and garden plants. Your worst nightmare could be waking up to find your trash bags ripped open and their content scattered all over your surroundings.

Raccoons are nocturnal creatures. That means most of their destructive activity will be at night when you’re sleeping. Raccoon presence also raises the risks of disease transmission.

Common diseases include roundworm, giardiasis, brucellosis, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, etc.

Will Mothballs Keep Raccoons Away?

This readily available insecticide won’t do a thing to raccoons.

In other words, mothballs have zero effect on raccoons. These creatures will continue to thrive on your property. You could get some relief by using mothballs against squirrels.

This insecticide is known to have some repelling effect on these rodents.

Now that you know that mothballs are out of the question for raccoons, the next logical step to take is to seek alternatives. There are tons of other alternatives.

In the case of squirrels, you may continue using it to ward them off, but not before you hear what we’re about to discuss next.

Mothballs Are Harmful Pesticides

Mothballs are solid round insecticides that are dispersed by sublimation.

In other words, these solids turn to a gaseous state when used for pest control. Now, this is where the problem arises. Mothballs do have a strong smell and whenever you inhale or perceive such smell, you’re directly inhaling a pesticide.

This is quite risky as it takes mothballs some to completely sublime or turns into a gaseous state. It means you’ll continue inhaling this insecticide product for as long as you continued to use it. Such long-term inhalation has its health impact or risks.

As a matter of fact, mothballs are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency due to the risks posed. This pesticide product is prohibited for use as an animal repellent.

This right here is enough reason to convince you to ditch the idea of using mothballs as a repellent.

• What Are Mothballs Made Of?

Since we’re talking about the risks associated with mothball use, it’s necessary to provide information on what these are made of.

When it comes to mothballs produced in the U.S, two active ingredients are involved; paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene.

• Health Risks

Either active ingredient is quite toxic.

As stated earlier, steady or sustained inhalation of mothball fumes may lead to health risks. Some early symptoms or signs of negative health impacts include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and headaches.

Others include coughing, nose irritation, and ultimately kidney or liver damage. These symptoms remain a possibility for as long as mothballs continue to be used as pesticides.

You’ll need to completely ditch this product to avoid any of the above health symptoms and complications.

• Mothballs Could Be Ingested by Kids

The appearance of mothballs makes them easily mistaken for candy or food. This is a situation you should avoid at all costs as kids and pets are ever curious to readily thrown in anything they find interesting through their mouths.

The health risks posed by ingesting one can be significant. You’ll need to prevent this as much as you can.

Safe Ways to Use Mothballs For Racoons

If you must use mothballs for pest control, then they should be properly used. Remember we mentioned its prohibition as an animal repellent. Apart from that, we’ve also seen that mothballs have nothing on raccoons.

In other words, this pesticide won’t do a thing to raccoons.

So, you’ll need to stick to the use requirements by avoiding its use against raccoons. However, if for whatever reason you decide to use mothballs, it should be done properly. There are safe ways to use this product as contained on the label.

If you must, consider placing these insecticides in containers with tight lids. This is even more important when everyone is at home.

Alternatives To Mothball Pest Control

So far, our discussion has tended towards exposing or highlighting the unreliability of mothballs for raccoon control.

We’ve also seen that this is a high-risk insecticide whose continued inhalation will result in many health issues.

You don’t have to keep this product around when there are safer and more effective alternatives to consider. In the case of raccoons, several strategies are available. These include making homemade raccoon repellents.

One of these includes tastes repellents.

• Taste Repellents

Taste repellents utilize offensive and strong odors to ward off these creatures.

To make this recipe, you’ll need to get cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce, dishwashing liquid, and some water. To make this spray, about a bottle of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce should be added to a gallon of water.

Add a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and mix. Now, get a spray bottle and fill the mixture in. Spray across all areas most frequented by raccoons. These pests will keep their distance.

In the case of other rodent species, tons of natural repellents could be deployed. These include the use of hot pepper plants, spraying cayenne pepper on plant leaves, placing peppermint-soaked cotton balls around your garden, and use of garlic & vinegar spray, etc.

So far, we’ve seen that mothballs aren’t a great option when it comes to keeping raccoons.

However, we’ve provided other effective alternatives you should try out.