Do mothballs keep cockroaches away?
Cockroaches easily rank among the most hated of pests. It isn’t difficult to see why. These pests cause all sorts of problems. Such problems are mostly health-related.
Among these are food contamination, filthy bites, salmonella, polio, E Coli, and enterococcus just to name a few.
So can mothballs kill bed bugs?
Mothballs For Roaches
As always, the primary desire is to get rid of roaches in as comprehensive a manner as possible.
Asides from the different chemical insecticides available for roach treatments, there are other non-conventional ways of tackling the problem.
Some of these are effective while others aren’t.
One of those we’ll be discussing here is mothball. Is it designed for roach control? Will it repel roaches? If it does, how is it applied?
These are salient questions we’ll be answering in the course of the article.
Mothballs And Roaches
Mothballs are classified as pesticides and are mostly used against cloth moths. Its use and applications are specified by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Moths, silverfish, and other fabric pests are best treated with this pesticide.
The two most common active ingredients you’ll find in mothballs are either para-dichlorobenzene or naphthalene. At room temperature, mothballs are solid.
When exposed to open air, these will dissipate by turning directly to gas.
Safety First
Before we find out whether mothballs repel roaches or not, we’ll need to consider their safety. Irrespective of its active ingredient (para-dichlorobenzene or naphthalene), mothballs are considered toxic to humans.
This should give you a heads-up about its unsuitability for roach treatment.
What’s more, mothballs are specifically made for moth elimination. So, applying it for roach control won’t be a great idea as it might not be effective at all or might only be effective to an extent.
Even when effective, you’re still exposed to its toxic effects.
Figuring out what to do about this information shouldn’t be difficult at all.
All you have to do is ditch mothball use for roach treatment (assuming it works) to safeguard your health and that of other members of your household.
Mothballs Will Repel Roaches
If you’re seeking to only repel roaches, then you’ll have some luck with mothballs. It’s important to state that its efficacy on roaches is only restricted to repelling them.
Hoping for anything more such as killing these critters would be useless as it does none of that.
Thankfully, this is the focus of our discussion; the repellent effect of mothballs on roaches. While it’s clear that mothballs are toxic to humans and pets, it’s fair to say it will still repel roaches with targeted treatments.
So, how do mothballs repel roaches?
Let’s provide some explanation.
How Mothballs Repel Roaches
If you must use mothballs, it’s important to provide some background information on how mothballs act to keep pests at bay. When mothball flakes, balls, or cakes are placed around infested areas, the gases being released permeates the area.
The pungent-smelling gas being released irritates these roaches and drives them out from hiding, thus providing you with a temporary solution to your roach issue.
To have a long-term effect, you’ll have to do a lot more than apply mothball treatments.
How to Use
The EPA regulates the use of mothballs as they’re best used for certain pest issues.
One of the things you need to be aware of is that mothballs should only be used as specified on the product label. Every mothball product comes with a useful label.
You only need to carefully follow such use details on the product label to get desired results. Ideally, mothballs aren’t designed to be used in the open. In other words, targeted moth-infested clothes must be placed in an air-tight container with the right dose of mothballs.
Keeping it out in the open for roach treatments won’t be safe. Based on the use instruction, it isn’t feasible to safely use mothballs for roach treatments.
You’ll need to find alternative and safer treatment methods that work.
Naphthalene is a Possible Carcinogen
It isn’t enough that mothball treatments will give you the repellent results you seek with roaches. You should know that you’re exposed to fumes that are carcinogens. Naphthalene mothballs are the most notorious when it comes to those containing carcinogens.
Is it Worth the Try?
One of the primary questions you need to ask yourself before using mothballs as a roach repellent is whether it’s worth the effort. Having shown the many downsides attached to its use, the wide decision should be to ditch its use completely.
There are lots of safe and non-toxic treatments in the market that can be applied with great results. So, you might want to start researching for possible replacements to mothball treatments for roaches.
As a matter of fact, there are completely natural and non-toxic, yet effective roach treatments available. If none of those appeals to you, you might want to consider professional pest control.
Professional Roach Control
DIY roach treatments may be considered annoying and cumbersome for some homeowners.
If you belong to this category, you might want to take the easy and most reliable way out; calling a pest control service. Reputable pest control services offer all sorts of pest solutions including roach extermination.
They understand pest behavior and know what to expect and where to look. Kick-starting this process isn’t difficult as well. All you have to do is research for the most reliable pest management company.
You might also want to make inquiries from friends and family.
With verified online reviews, you get to call a company that offers the best possible pest control service.
Also, Attend to the Causes
Roaches are attracted to your home for several reasons.
When there’s easy access to moisture, dirty kitchen surroundings, an infested neighborhood, and tiny entry points or openings, then roach issues might arise.
Other possible reasons why roaches are attracted to your home include buying used items without inspection for reaches or other pests, having a cluttered home, ignoring the problem as well as a damp basement.
Any of these could compound your problem.
Although mothballs will repel roaches when applied, this treatment isn’t safe at all. It’s important to seek other less toxic alternatives.