If you’ve noticed raccoons around your home, then you may be wondering about all the different ways to get rid of them! So naturally, you might be asking yourself whether mothballs will repel raccoons.
In this article, not only will you find out whether mothballs will repel raccoons, but you’ll also learn how effective they are, the risks involved, and other methods for removing raccoons as well!
So keep reading to find out everything you need to know!
Do Mothballs Repel Raccoons?
Mothballs are going to repel raccoons; however, it’s important to note that due to the powerful chemicals in them, they’re not the best choice to use. Not only are they harmful to the environment, but they can also be harmful to you, your family, and your pets as well!
How Effective Are Mothballs At Repelling Raccoons?
If you plan on using mothballs, then you should also consider how effective they’re actually going to be long-term. While they can often repel raccoons at first, over time, as raccoons get used to the smell, they’re going to ignore them and carry on about their day anyway.
Are Mothballs Legal?
You should also consider whether mothballs are legal. In the US, they’re illegal to use in ways that aren’t specifically specified on the label because of the harm they can cause to animals, pets, the environment, and you!
So whether you can use them or not depends entirely on the country, you’re living in!
What Are The Dangers Of Using Mothballs To Repel Raccoons?
Because of all the chemicals in mothballs, they can end up causing nausea, headaches, nose irritation, and coughing. And, of course, for animals that are smaller, mothballs are going to be a lot more deadly.
There’s also a danger of mothballs contaminating water and the soil when you leave them outside, as they’ll begin to soak into the environment around them.
And of course, if your pets or small children end up eating mothballs in your garden, it’s going to be extremely harmful to them.
How To Use Mothballs To Repel Raccoons
If mothballs are legal in your country, then you can now use them to get rid of raccoons in your home and garden. So if you want to get rid of them, you should do the following!
First of all, put the mothballs in a container, so none of the chemicals can leech out. And then place the container in areas you think raccoons are entering your property, or if you know they’re living, place them in there as well.
Other Ways To Repel Raccoons
However, remember, even though mothballs may be legal in your country, they’re definitely not recommended for use due to the damage they can cause.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to repel raccoons from your property! So why not try the following:
Keep Your Trash Sealed
The first thing to do is make sure your trash is well-sealed. Raccoons enjoy searching through the trash for meals. Making sure they can’t get your trash will therefore make your home far less enticing to them.
Block Off Entry To Your Home
Additionally, you should also make sure that entrances to your property are blocked off too. It’s shocking all the different ways raccoons can enter your home. So you must consider less visible entrances, such as your chimney or cat flap, in addition to addressing any more obvious points of entry.
Remove Pet Food
Make sure that you take away pet food from your pets once they have finished eating. Unfortunately, leaving pet food out all day will also draw raccoons to your house.
Shine Bright Lights At The Raccoon
If you spot raccoons in your backyard or home, when you notice them, shine a bright light on them. This is going to scare them away instantly, and if you do it enough times, they’ll begin to feel like that area is unsafe.
Make Sure Trees And Hedges Are Trimmed
You should also make sure that trees and hedges around your house are trimmed as well. This is especially true when any of these things are touching your house. A lot of the time, trees can give raccoons access to your roof or other areas of the home they can enter.
Try Scare Tactics
Things that make noise can be used to scare raccoons away as well. Wind chimes could make a raccoon jump when the wind blows, or leaving a radio on can make it seem to the raccoon that there are people in the vicinity.
Motion Activation Systems
Motion-activated sprinklers and lights can also scare raccoons, so the next time they enter your property, they might be enough to scare them away!
Improve Your Fence
If you don’t have a fence, you should first think about installing one to make it harder for raccoons to enter your premises. However, if you already have a fence, make sure that it also goes deep underground as well.
Not only are raccoons good at climbing, but they’re also good at digging, so you need to make sure you’re cutting off both ways in.
Predator Urine
And lastly, predator urine can be an effective way to get rid of raccoons as well. Bobcats, cougars, and even domestic dogs are all predators to raccoons, so purchasing some predator urine is a great way to deter them!
Scents That Raccoons Hate
There are also plenty of other smells that raccoons hate as well! So why not try the following to get rid of raccoons in your home!
Onion & Pepper
Raccoons hate the mixture that is made when you mix onion and pepper with some water! They will stay away from the places where it has been sprayed because the smell from this combination will temporarily disorient all of their nasal receptors.
Garlic
Garlic may not be your favorite odor, but raccoons are going to detest it even more! Use garlic juice for the greatest outcomes because the fragrance from the juice is even stronger.
Irish Spring Soap
Found in most stores, Irish spring soap is another smell that raccoons absolutely detest! So try grating it and sprinkling it around the areas of your home you want to repel raccoons from!
Vinegar
Vinegar is another great choice for repelling raccoons. Just make sure to favor apple cider vinegar over white vinegar, as the smell is much more powerful!
Peppermint Essential Oil
There is some good news when it comes to scents that will deter raccoons. You can also use peppermint essential oil to deter raccoons if you don’t want your house to smell bad because while it will make your house smell great, raccoons are going to absolutely hate it!
Hot Pepper
Last but not least, hot pepper is one of the stronger aromas that raccoons abhor the most, so it’s worthwhile to try this too. Hot pepper will directly damage a raccoon’s nasal receptors, causing disorientation and making it challenging for them to find the meal they genuinely desire!
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions that people have about using mothballs to repel raccoons!
Can You Use Mothballs In Flowerpots?
Because the chemicals in mothballs are going to leech out, it’s not a good idea to use them in your flowerpots. It could end up not only contaminating the soil but getting into the groundwater as well.
How Toxic Are Mothballs To Raccoons?
Mothballs are going to be a lot more toxic to you than they are to raccoons. While raccoons aren’t going to like the smell, mothballs aren’t going to be strong enough to get rid of them for good!
Recap
As you can see, mothballs aren’t the best way to get rid of raccoons, and generally, they’re actually best avoided. Fortunately, there are so many other great methods you can use to deter raccoons permanently that mothballs don’t even need to be on your radar!
If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website; otherwise, have a great day!
