Mothballs is a product that has been used in the United States for many years as a pesticide for clothing material, mainly wool. The product is a highly toxic one, as it contains active ingredients like Naphthalene.
This chemical back in 1948 was first registered as a pesticide in the United States. The mothball has been specifically most useful against moths. Because of the ingredients present in it gets vaporized at room temperature.
However, the fact remains if they are usable against other animals like the frogs or toads, keep reading to find out.
Do mothballs repel frogs and toads?
Frogs and toads both are creatures that like to live in damp areas or even places that are near water surface. Due to them attracting dangerous predators and just being a nuisance overall. Using mothballs to repel frogs and toads has been found to be useful but the method is illegal.
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Frogs always prefer to live in damp areas and places where there are water bodies nearby, toads are also the same as frogs and live in similar habitats.
Frogs and toads can be considered nuisance animals as they attract dangerous predators like the snake and they emit annoying sounds.
Many repellants in the market can work against these creatures easily. However, the aforementioned mothball is off limits to us consumers. We are not legally allowed to use the mothball to repel toads and frogs.
The fact however remains that we can use mothballs to repel frogs and toads as the product contains active ingredients that are harmful to them and can cause them to demise.
Sadly, the process of putting out the mothballs in the open for the frogs and toads to come in contact with is dangerous.
This is due to the fact that mothballs can harm not just the animals but also the environment’s soil and plant life. Thus, the use of mothballs to use as a repel is illegal.
Mothballs should not just be used outside but they should not be used in the attics, crawl spaces, trash cans, or vehicles either.
Mothballs tend to have this strong odor and it smells like camphor. There are labels on any pesticide like the mothballs that have specific directions to use.
Using them in any other way that is not directed on the label isn’t just illegal, it can harm humans, the environment and our beloved pets as well.
What are mothballs made out of?
Naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene are the main ingredients of mothballs. Both of these active chemicals are toxic to humans. The ingredients can contaminate any body of water and soil as well.
Mothballs can cause serious harm to the wildlife and not just that, the mothballs when unregulated can cause air pollution too. Mothballs are intended to be used only against moths to protect clothing materials.
The mothballs work in a way that either desecrates the moths or discourages them from coming back to the area the balls were dispatched.
Can you use mothballs outside to keep away frogs and toads?
Yes, you can use mothballs outside to keep away frogs and toads. However, using mothballs like this is illegal. The active ingredients present in the commercial product can be fatal to both us and the environment.
The ingredients are toxic to us humans and can contaminate water bodies. They will destroy the plants we might just be trying to protect. The mothball will cause serious illness in our pets if they come in contact with them.
Mothballs is a pesticide that has specific instructions on how to use it, therefore there is no way legally we can use it outside to keep away frogs and toads as that is not the specified way of using it.
Why is it illegal to put mothballs outside?
People have been using mothballs because of the nuisance moths are. Moths tend to eat through the fabric of clothing and destroy different types of clothing items. Mothballs come here to stop the problem of these moths destroying the fabrics.
However, the usage of mothballs needs to be exercised with serious precautions. Using mothballs outside, for example, is illegal. Reasons for such a law are discussed in brief below.
Environment:
Using mothballs outside can harm the environment. Mothballs mainly contain the chemicals naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. These active ingredients can contaminate any form of water and soil.
Each of these chemicals is excessively dangerous and toxic to the environment as it will get into the groundwater and soil. They might as well harm the plants in our gardens.
Pets:
Mothballs have chemicals inside them that are toxic to even us, humans. Pets on the other hand are at serious risk. As mothballs are commercially available as balls or resemble marbles.
Pets will not know the difference between a toy marble or ball and these toxic mothballs that might just be left out in the open. Once they ingest some of it, it can be fatal to their health.
Children:
In the above bullet points we have mentioned that the mothballs contain active ingredients that are toxic chemicals to us humans and nature in a similar nature. Thus, little children playing outside will be at risk of ingesting the mothballs.
What can you use instead of mothballs to keep frogs and toads away?
Mothballs are chemical products that we have been using for many years now. In the United States, it has been used as an insect and pest repellent for natural fibers. Notably wool was one of the prime targets.
However, due to the toxic nature of this chemical ball, it was illegal to use it outside. Thus, the use of this to repel frogs and toads is out of the option.
But do not worry, as we have done extensive research and found out a few things that you can use as an alternative for repelling the frogs and toads. Keep reading below to know more about them and how to use them.
Salt:
Many animals cannot handle the feeling of salt on their bodies as it gives them the sensation of burning. Frogs and toads on the other hand get dehydrated once they come in contact with salt. Salt disrupts their bodily functions, causes illness, or get expired.
Coffee grounds:
Coffee grounds are an excellent repellent as they are the byproducts of something we drink everyday morning. The frogs and toads dislike coffee grounds as it makes them feel an unpleasant feeling and like salt, it affects their skin too.
Baking Soda:
Baking soda acts like Citric Acid to frogs and toads and causes them to expire.
Vinegar:
Vinegar can be considered the most effective repellent to use against frogs or toads. We can make our vinegar mixture and use it as a repellent for the toads and frogs easily in our homes.
All we need is equal parts of water and vinegar mixed in a spray bottle. After that, we just have to spray the vinegar on the border areas of our garden.
Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice just like the Vinegar is irritating to the skin. Lemon Juice also has a strong smell that the frogs are not a fan of. They will avoid any surface where there might be the smell of lemon juice scattered around.
Final thoughts
Mothballs can certainly repel frogs and toads. It is illegal to use it this way. Also, we should never use the repellants directly on the frogs either. We should not use chlorine or bleach as well to repel frogs and toads. Other formulas like the vinegar and water mixture work great against them.