Raccoons are infamous for being scavengers and dangerous animals. While they tend to feed on any food they come by, raccoons are sensitive to strong repulsive smells. Just as they hate ammonia, garlic, and Epsom salt, raccoons hate mothballs because of the odor. Mothballs are strong substances used to get rid of critters, which makes them toxic to raccoons. However, raccoons are very smart to recognize and ignore mothballs.
While raccoons hate mothballs, it will take more than mothballs to prevent raccoons on your property. This article provides answers to help you understand how to repel raccoons and if mothballs are toxic to raccoons.
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Do Mothballs Keep Raccoons Away?
Mothballs are famous for their strong smell and are often used as a repellent for squirrels, mice, and raccoons. While it is an effective method of controlling pests, raccoons are smarter animals and often difficult to arrest. You shouldn’t solely rely on mothballs to get rid of raccoons on your property. Especially for species from North America and the Southern American.
Raccoons have a strong sense of smell, so it is easy to eliminate them using toxic smells. Mothballs have been used to deter tiny creatures, including; mice, squirrels, and other rodents, or as a spider deterrent in basements or out-of-reach cupboards because of their pungent scent.
Placing mothballs in suitable locations can help control the pests in your homes or gardens. However, raccoons are smarter animals so mothballs won’t keep them away for long. Raccoons can easily kick mothballs out of their way when determined to look for food. Mothballs will do a great job keeping raccoons away for a while.
How Effective Are Mothballs in Repelling Raccoons?
Mothballs are not always effective because Raccoons can easily recognize and avoid them. Especially the species from North America and South America.While the mothballs have toxic smells that can upset a raccoon, it will take more than just a smell to keep them away from your property. A real conscious effort!
Mothballs can’t repel raccoons effectively because they are intended to ward off moths. Mothballs can fail to deter raccoons since they are incredibly intelligent and flexible.
To effectively repel raccoons, you would need to cover the area with many mothballs. However, doing so is not recommended. Mothballs pose more danger to humans and pets than raccoons because of the poison they can release.
Since raccoons are very large creatures, mothballs are not particularly poisonous to them, but they do emit a strong odor that raccoons find repulsive. You should consider a more effective and safe repellent because raccoons can ignore the mothballs.
Mothballs and other homemade remedies only offer temporary solutions. Raccoons have been known to kick mothballs out of the way, so they are not in the way of where they want to go.
How to Use Mothballs to Repel Raccoons?
Placing mothballs in the perfect area increases the chances of repelling them in your area. The fence openings, trash cans, burrows, and more. You should also be careful not to place mothballs in a dangerous place that may affect you or your pets. And if you’re not clear on how to proceed about this you could always call the sanitation and cleaning up department.
After ensuring that it is safe to use mothballs in your area, you can place mothballs around any fence openings, by trash cans, hollow trees, and in other areas where raccoons might be looking for tunnels to build their nests. There is a strong probability the raccoon won’t bother anymore and may even go to your neighbor if the mothballs are still fresh and difficult to get through.
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You shouldn’t scatter mothballs in areas you can’t reach because you will need to dispose of them, so it doesn’t cause harm when it creates gas or disintegrates. However, you shouldn’t use mothballs openly in your home, such as in the attic, where raccoons may go, or even by your garbage cans, because they can be harmful.
Dangers of Using Mothballs as Raccoon Repellents?
Uncoordinated use of mothballs can be dangerous to you and your pets because they contain harmful chemicals that are toxic to humans and animals. Considering how hazardous mothballs can be, they are not worth the risk, and it is not very effective. Here a a few dangers of using mouthballs as raccoon repellent.
1. It is harmful to human health
Prolonged exposure to Mothballs can affect your health because they contain naphthalene and toxic chemicals. The toxic substances in mothballs can be deadly to humans as they can cause hemolytic anemia. Also, the chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, eye and nose irritation, and coughing.
2. Infect water and soil
It is advised to use mothballs outdoors in closed containers to prevent cases where your environment can get infected. The harmful substances found in mothballs can seep into the soil and contaminate it. Additionally, the chemicals have the potential to damage soil and groundwater.
When used outside, mothballs can contaminate the land and water, kill other species, and pollute the air. Children and animals like dogs or cats may be particularly harmed by the odor released. Using them is not worth the health risk compared to other deterrents because raccoons frequently ignore them.
Does Pine Sol Repel Raccoons?
Pine Sol can be used in place of Ammonia to repel raccoons because of its horrible smell. They are effective and aren’t toxic to humans, provided that you keep them away from food and your pets. Though most natives love to have some pine Sol at home because of its aesthetic purposes, but it could repel a lot of pets and wild animals.
For the most part, animals dislike the smell of Pine Sol. So, all you have to do is spray your trash cans with a mixture of 50/50 full-strength Pine Sol and warm water to repel raccoons. You can spray Pine Sol, soak into cloth, or even store it in small, opened bottles.
The wet cloth pieces can be placed all about the house, such as next to food sources or close to trash cans and storage containers. If you are familiar with ammonia then you need to try Pine Sol.
Pine-Sol’s potent cleaning agent contains pine oil, renowned for its potent odor. Raccoons won’t enter an area where Pine-Sol has been used because of the fragrance. Pine-Sol shouldn’t be used around food or animals, either.
Can Raccoons Be Deterred Easily?
Raccoons are intelligent scavengers requiring you to be meticulous to deter them. There are ways you can deter raccoons naturally without endangering them or yourself.
Ensure your surroundings are clean and food sources are well protected. Strong repulsive smells will also keep them away from your property. Here are sources that can naturally deter them:
1. Pepper spray
Awful odors are an effective method of detecting raccoons. Cayenne pepper spray is a simple and reliable raccoon repellant since raccoons dislike spicy scents. Shake well before adding a small bottle of cayenne pepper and a bottle of spicy sauce to a gallon of water. Spray your plants with this pepper solution.
2. Epsom salt
Another component that deters raccoons is epsom salt. Sprinkle Epsom salt inside and outside of your vegetable garden for the best defense. That stench will typically cause racoons to stay away from your garden and chicken coops.
3. Take away potential food sources
If you have trees that provide nuts or fruits, raccoons may also find food in compost piles, bird feeders, pet food bowls, or even just on the ground. If you want the raccoons to keep away from your property, find all potential food sources and eliminate them.
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What are the Alternatives of Mothballs to Keep Raccoons Away?
You can try other safer methods instead of Mothballs to keep raccoons away. Raccoons don’t like awful smells, and a pungent odor can get right into their nostrils and block their airways. Also getting to spray some chemicals after sanitation after proper sanitation is also another alternative one can deploy to Raccoons away.
Raccoons hate strong odor, so ammonia-soaked rags can help keep them away. Put ammonia-soaked clothe anywhere raccoons could enter the property should have them installed. You can prepare a cayenne pepper solution in a spray bottle and use it to spray it at any entry points to deter raccoon
Additionally, make sure that sheds and attics can be secured properly and that there is no leftover insulation because they prefer to munch on that. Raccoons can be deterred from an area by using motion lights or even strobe lights. They are startled by the light, which frequently causes them to flee.
Do Bleach Deter Raccoons?
Bleach doesn’t necessarily deter raccoons, but it can be useful in keeping them away from your property because of its odor. Since bleach is used as a cleaning agent, you can use it to clean your house because raccoons won’t come visiting if your property is well clean. So you really have to maintain proper sanitation in your backyard at all times.
The capacity of bleach to kill germs and other diseases makes it a potent cleaning agent. Raccoons will steer clear of locations where bleach has been applied because of the strong smell.
Additionally, the bleaching substance will clean any surfaces that the raccoons touch, aiding in the reduction of sickness. It makes sense that bleach, a potent disinfectant that can kill bacteria and viruses, would also be efficient in keeping bugs away.
Conclusion
Yes! Raccoons hate mothballs and can’t stand repulsive smells. However, the smell won’t prevent raccoons from entering your property, especially if you don’t take other effective methods to control them. Mothballs are not effective and are toxic to humans. Scattering mothballs around your property is not worth the risk. There are other safe alternatives that you can explore to keep your property safe from raccoons.