Moth ball Quackery

Our tip of the quarter relates to moth balls. I wish I got a dollar for every job I worked at which the owner already tried mothballs. Let me be frank with you. Mothballs work. Mammals don't like to smell them. Neither do people. The problem with mothballs, besides the potential health impacts, is that you must use enough of them in order to get the desired effect. Let's just assume you have squirrels in your attic. You put a pound of mothballs where they are living in the hopes they leave. Chances are the squirrels will only move the nest to another portion of your attic.

You then respond by adding more and so on. Pretty soon, you may be smelling the odor.   Remember, you must convince that squirrel that smelling your moth balls is worse than freezing to death or finding a new home.

Just a couple more tips. Moth balls are flammable. They burn very well. Some types of moth balls are also potential carcinogens. My advice? Don't bother. But if you must use them, prepare yourself for having to hire an animal damage controller or getting a trap.

Stephen Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Professional. He is a nationally known writer including having been an assistant editor for Wildlife Control Technology magazine, author of numerous ADC articles as well as The Wildlife Removal Handbook rev.ed and the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook rev. ed. Mr. Vantassel is also a vocal critic of the growing animal rights movement. He has exposed the fallacies and deceptions of the animal rights protest industry through debate, lecture and publication.

11/28/02

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