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| Vole Tracks Photo Courtesy: Missouri Botanical Garden |
Using mothballs outside is a big no! Despite many companies, and articles promoting the use of mothballs to control mice, voles, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, moles, snakes and even deer outside, it is illegal to do so.
So how to control mice and voles outside? From ‘A Way to Garden’: Try trapping year-round in key garden areas and outbuildings. Place traps inside homemade boxes – the box protects other animals from potentially getting injured, compared to a trap placed out in the open. They can be baited with peanut butter.
Photo Courtesy: A Way to Garden
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| Photo Courtesy: A Way to Garden Mothballs (or cakes, crystals, tablets, bars and flakes) contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as active ingredients, according to Stone. "Both chemicals are fumigants, meaning that their volatile chemicals will vaporize at lower temperatures, such as room temperature," Stone said. "Naphthalene has been associated with adverse health effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing. Paradichlorobenzene is also a potential hazard, although typically less than naphthalene." – Oregon State University |
Mothballs are pesticides intended to kill clothes moths and other fabric pests. They are regulated in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The label of any pesticide, including mothballs, specifies exactly where and how you can legally use the product. Using mothballs in a way not specified by the label is not only illegal, but can harm people, pets or the environment. - National Pesticide Information Center
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