One of the most common myths is that mothballs get rid of snakes from a home or yard. In this article, we look at the question: do mothballs repel snakes?
What is a Mothball?
Mothballs are small balls of pesticide and deodorant and have been used for years. They are used in areas where you store clothes or other materials that could be damaged by mold or moth larvae, as mothballs are known to prevent these.
However, in recent years people have been using mothballs to deter snakes.
Do Snakes Hate Mothballs?
It isn’t the mothballs themselves that the snakes hate. Snakes, by evolutionary design, have learned to hunt using very few of their senses, their main one being smell. They pick up odors in the atmosphere by flicking their tongue out and picking up particles in the air. They then taste these using a gland in the upper part of their mouth.
It is a very effective way for them to find prey, which is why they only need to hunt every so often. However, this tactic does have one weakness, if there is an odor in the air that interferes with their sense of smell, this can harm their hunting technique.
Mothballs release a fragrance to deter numerous animals, mostly those that are going to cause damage to clothes or other fabrics. However, this causes the problem, as this odor prevents the snake from picking up the odors from its prey.
Therefore, when snakes detect the odor from the mothball, they often leave an area. So using mothballs to get rid of snakes can be a useful option.
Do Mothballs Keep Snakes Away from Your House?
Technically speaking, mothballs can keep snakes away from your house. But the biggest problem is that odor from mothballs is very limited in range. Typically speaking it will only reach a couple of feet and not any further. Therefore, you would require a lot of mothballs for snakes to be repelled from all over your house.
However, mothballs are a great idea for keeping snakes away from your yard. You can place mothballs into crevices and hiding spots that snakes might like to hide in. Though, again, you would probably need a lot of them.
The Problem with Mothballs
The biggest problem with mothballs is that they are a toxic substance that can be harmful to humans and pets. Dogs and cats can be very curious about smells, and dogs are likely to try to eat mothballs to explore what they are. This can be very dangerous.
A dog that has eaten mothballs can become seriously ill. If they eat too many it can be fatal for them. The same can be said for your children. Therefore, you might want to try other repellents.
What are the Symptoms of a Dog Eating a Mothball?
When the dog eats a mothball, the camphor will poison the central nervous system. The dog can quickly become agitated and develop seizures. These symptoms can be life-threatening very quickly, and you will need to see an emergency vet as soon as possible.
What are the Other Repellents you can Use?
There are numerous other repellents that you can use, instead of mothballs for snakes, that can repel snakes. Here are some of the other options.
1. Plants
Many plants will deter snakes from your garden because they do the same job as the mothball. Lemongrass, onions, and marigolds are some of the plants that you can use around your garden that release an odor that snakes will not like and therefore, will prefer to leave your garden.
Many of the plants are also very attractive and can look great in a garden. Or can be used in cooking.
2. Envirobug
Envirobug sends vibrations into the ground that simulate large predators. Because snakes don’t have external ears, they listen for predators through vibrations on the ground that they can detect from an internal ear.
Envirobug can be solar-powered or battery powered and a couple can be all you need to deter snakes from your yard.
3. Natural Predators
Most poultry are natural predators of snakes. Therefore, these in your yard can help protect you from snakes as snakes will not want to be in the same yard as these predatory birds.
One of the big issues with these animals in your yard is that with proper maintenance you can attract rodents. For example, keeping food in a shed can attract rats to eat the chicken food. Therefore, you should use proper storage bins. Rodents will attract snakes of all sizes.
There are also other natural predators like racoons and foxes that can naturally deter snakes. Buying fox urine from outdoor sports shops can be one option as well.
4. Remove Potential Hiding Spots/Left Out Food
Removing items that attract snakes will be the most important factor in deterring snakes. You can do this by ensuring there is nothing that will attract prey items and also by removing potential hiding spots for your snake.
Though this is one of the harder ways to keep snakes from your yard and house, it is one that you might want to try.
Final Word: Will Mothballs Keep Snakes Away
Mothballs can be an effective way you can keep snakes away from your house or yard. However, there are some risks in using mothballs, and not to the snakes. Mothballs are toxic and any children, pets, and even wildlife that eat a mothball, can become seriously ill or even die from eating a mothball.
There are better options for keeping snakes out of your yards, such as using Envirobug or natural predators. These are more eco-friendly and can help you achieve better results, especially as mothballs are very limited in their range.
Mothballs also offer little secondary benefits to your garden, such as making it look more attractive.