Do Mothballs Deter Raccoons?
Well…that all depends on whom you ask and what sources of information you find.
Believe us, you’ll find sources that swear by mothballs and those who believe they’re a waste of time. One source will say raccoons run from the smell. Another will say mothballs are “proven” not to work? One video we found on YouTube has a title that suggests the mothballs work and then shows a young raccoon playing with them.
A true sign of the times, it seems that even in the world of nuisance animal removal the “fake news”/”real news” debates rage. Whom to believe?
For what it’s worth, we are in the camp that believes moth balls should be used against moths alone. We do not believe that mothballs should be a go-to when a raccoon problem arises.
Why? Two reasons:
- Moth balls are a pesticide and with pesticides “the label is the law”. We believe following the law is best practice. You won’t see reference to raccoons on any mothball labels. We think a valid source for some mothball information is the National Pesticide Information Center. You can find a mothball page here. [Disclosure- The NPIC is a cooperative between Oregon State University and the EPA. If you distrust institutions of higher learning and/or the EPA, skip following this link.]
- Our experience has led us to attics and yards where moth balls have failed to deter raccoons and other non-moth species. We’ve been called after the moth balls have failed.
For example, here is a recent picture of a raccoon that was trapped in close proximity to some mothballs.
Before calling us, the homeowner tried the mothballs found in the container with the blue lid to try and deter the raccoon.
The raccoon kept coming back despite the moth ball deployment.
As you see, our trap did not fail in removing this raccoons.
Trapping and Repair is Proven Against Raccoons
If, however, you’ve looked at other information sources and believe mothballs are worth a shot, have at it! Maybe you’re experience will be different than ours and you’ll have success. Good luck.
But, if you try the mothball route and don’t succeed, please remember that raccoon problems can be successfully managed through removal and repair.
Using the right traps in the right spots is a definitive way to remove problem raccoons. And, repairing structures so future raccoons cannot get back in assures a true solution.
Please take a look at some of these other pages to find out more.
Akron, Canton, Kent, OH Raccoon Trappers
In the Stark, Summit, Portage County area, trust Frontline Animal Removal for a raccoon problem’s solution. Our tried and true methods of removal and repair will succeed if mothballs have let you down!
