How to get rid of squirrels in the attic mothballs-practical advice

When a squirrel lives in the attic, you may not know what to do to get rid of it. Repellents can be effective, but most experts agree that the only way to get rid of these furry creatures is to prevent them from entering or trapping them in the attic.

Here’s what you need to know to get rid of the squirrel the next time you find it in the attic. In this article, we will describe how to get rid of squirrels in the attic mothballs.

Here is what you need to know to get rid of squirrels in the attic & garden:

Damages Chewed cracks and holes, etc.
Signs Holes outside of the attic, etc.
Measures 17 solutions
Solutions Limit the easy access to attic, etc.

What mothballs are?

Mothballs are pesticides that contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as an active ingredient. Both chemicals evaporate at room temperature, which causes an unpleasant odor and potential toxicity. Naphthalene balls should only be used as directed on the label and their use is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What are mothballs used for?

How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic Mothballs
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Mothballs are designed to combat moths, and the instructions state that they should only be used in confined spaces, such as a sealed clothing bag or a container with a tightly closed lid.

Mothballs have a much wider application

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Many people use mothballs only when storing clothes, not knowing that it has a much wider application. You can use these ingenious life hacks and tricks, thanks to which you can get rid of insects, mice, and many other problems in the garden, entire house, or garage with the help of mothballs.

In the matter of keeping rid of squirrels away from human habitation, mothballs are also an excellent way.

Squirrels in attics

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Rid of squirrels give birth twice a year: once in summer and a second time at the end of winter. In summer, tree branches serve as acceptable dens. When it gets cold, the squirrel females look for an alternative.

Why do squirrels appear in my attic?

Squirrels in attic
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Attics provide safety, shelter, and comfort, ideal conditions for a squirrel to give birth and raise their baby squirrels. Since flying squirrels are experienced climbers, they can get to the attic simply by jumping onto the roof from the tree branches baby squirrels.

Electrical wiring is evil for you in this case because pests can climb up by using electrical wires that enter the house baby squirrels. If a squirrel can’t find a hole, it will find a weak spot in the structure and use its teeth to create a passage.

The Eastern Gray Squirrel is one of the most common pests.

How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic Mothballs

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Below we will describe in detail the way to get rid of squirrels with the help of mothballs.

Will Mothballs Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic?

Yes, this method can help because mothballs have a specific strong smell that can help deter rid of squirrels.

Mothballs as a squirrel

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It is recommended to place mothballs in the attic to prevent the penetration rid of squirrels or ground squirrels. The proposed application rate provides for 1 pound of mothballs for every 100 square feet of space.

The method is not as effective as you may expect

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Some homeowners report success using this method, but others say their more success was temporary. Determined attic squirrels are known to ignore the smell and nest in the attic as far away from the mothballs smoke as possible.

Is it OK to put mothballs in the attic?

How to Repel Squirrels and Keep Them Away From Your Home - Angi
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In fact, it is not recommended to place mothballs in your attic. Here we will explain why.

Mothballs can be toxic

Tree squirrel - Wikipedia
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This is due to the fact that naphthalene itself is a toxic substance for humans. It is not allowed to touch it.

Also, if suddenly you do place mothballs in your house in order to eliminate the problem of the spread of rodents in your house, or rather squirrel infestation, and then you began to smell mothballs, this means that most likely you have already begun to be exposed to the toxic effects of mothballs.

The sense of this distinctive smell means that naphthalene has started a reaction with the cells of your body and may already be damaging the tissues.

Where I CAN NOT use mothballs?

If it is possible do not use mothballs inside attics, crawl spaces, gardens, trash cans, and vehicles as well.

Why can I be banned from using mothballs?

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Here are some reasons.

Toxicity

In addition, it is necessary to clearly remember the toxicity of naphthalene. And this is not the only factor that may contribute to the fact that you do not want to use it as a squirrel repellent.

Local Laws

In some states, the use of mothballs against rodents is simply prohibited by law.

Specific prohibitions

Also on some packages from mothballs, you can find a list for whom you can use this product and for whom not. Consider all the nuances before you run to buy a package of mothballs.

Below we will describe an alternative version of squirrel repellents that you can use to fight them instead of mothballs.

Will mothballs keep animals out of the attic?

Yes, mothballs are a great way to fight both flying squirrels and chipmunks. You can place mothballs in any place where you have found a problem with the spread rid of squirrels and then the characteristic smell will effectively scare away these creatures.

However, as we mentioned above, do not forget about some facts that need to be taken into account before starting the fight with the help of naphthalene balls. How to get rid of chipmunks with cayenne pepper read here.

What kind of animals do mothballs keep away?

Most often, a list of pests is indicated in advance on the package to scare off which mothballs can be used. However, some people still illegally use this pesticide to get rid of a number of other pests/animals.

The list of “prohibited” pests on the package may include rid of squirrels, skunks, deer, mice, rats, and snakes, among other animals. Do not try to use this tool to combat “prohibited” animals.

What scent will repel squirrels?

Usually, most pests can be scared off using any strong odors. Remember, if a certain smell does not seem irritating or even pleasant to a person, then it can be a real evil for a pest.

The list of such strong odors can include:

pungent smell of apple cider vinegar/white vinegar

cayenne pepper

garlic

onion

black pepper

white pepper

peppermint oil

– etc.

The fact that these creatures do not tolerate strong odors is just real salvation for the entire humane society.

All the ingredients listed above can be used to prepare a special spray bottle to repel squirrels.

These sprays (pure apple cider vinegar spray or cayenne paper spray for example) can be sprayed directly on the plants and flower pots.

These methods will help you to get rid of both these little creatures flying squirrels and ground rid of squirrels.

The Mothballs method has a lot of cons

In fact, if you clearly assess the situation, you will not want to use mothballs to kill squirrels. This method has a huge number of disadvantages.

Wasting money

First place, to get rid of the squirrel, you will need a lot of mothballs, since too weak a smell either will not scare it away or it will get used to it, which will not save you from the problem.

Endangering human life

Using a large amount of naphthalene, you endanger your life.

Died squirrel smell

Also, a squirrel can die from naphthalene. You will easily smell squirrels if they will die in your walls or somewhere else. Usually, the smell begins to appear very fast. It’s an unpleasant picture, isn’t it?

We do not recommend using the method with mothballs, because you will find more problems than benefits. The situation may worsen so much that you will have to call pest control experts to sort out the problem.

How to Catch a Squirrel in the Attic with a Live Trap

How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic Mothballs
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Buy a squirrel trap in order to catch a squirrel. Find the place where the squirrel’s activity is. Look for gnawed places near corners and walls. Lubricate the trap with peanut butter. Wait until the squirrel falls into the trap. Bring the catcher squirrels as far from your hone as you can.

How to prevent squirrels from getting into the home?

First, try to get rid of broken windows. They can be the doors for squirrels that want to gen into your home. Also, exhaust vents and other small entry can act as a passage for squirrels and other rodents. Cover air intake and exhaust vents with a mesh.

Close other entry point and seal openings using home remedies.

Clean the trash bin in a timely manner so that the squirrels do not want to dig into it in search of food. Bird feeders are the things that attract squirrels the most.

Try not to pour food source into the bird feeder that can attract a squirrel. Just don’t put their favorite kinds of treats in the bird food, or buy a feeder protected from the attack of squirrels.

How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic Mothballs
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Bonus Tips: How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Gardens & Yards

Apart from causing harm to your attics, squirrels may destroy your gardens that are well-managed they can also ruin your well-managed gardens as.

In this article we’ve gathered a number of effective ways for you to eliminate squirrels as well as your neighbor’s pets in your gardens and yards. gardens.

#1. Clean Up Your Garden. One of the main reasons that squirrels and other pets heading to your garden is the search for food. If you pick all the fallen fruits in the dirt and remove squirrels any other sources of food it is possible to ensure that squirrels are kept away and keep your neighbours pets and dogs away from your yard.

#2. Utilize squirrel proof birdfeeders. Bird seed is the main draw for squirrels in your backyard. The bird feeders can be placed on a higher level that can be a safe distance from squirrels. The man who created the squirrel-proof bird feeder by himself and has a security camera to watch the design.

#3. Your pet dog or cat can assist too. Small animals such as squirrels can treat larger animals similar to your pets cats or dogs as opponents. Simply put, pets can protect you from squirrels when they are having fun at the park. Check here to find out if your dog will protect your home.

#4. Install motion-activated devices in your Garden. Like we previously mentioned squirrels can be a bit timid and will be horrified at the slightest sound or movement. Motion-activated sprinklers as well as noise-repelling devices are options to repel squirrels, as are pets that are a part of the neighborhood around the yard.

#5. Plant special plants such as mint in your Garden. We humans might enjoy the strong smell of mint however that’s not true for squirrels. They are scared of mint’s scent, and so you should plant mint near the entry point areas of your garden to deter squirrels from your homes.

#6. Make Gopher cages to protect your plants. The plants you have are part of the menu of squirrels too. To shield your plants from squirrels create gopher cages using chicken wires. This way you can ensure that squirrels don’t take your plants out or devour the roots.

#7. Sprinkle your plants with pebbles. It’s the nature of squirrels to make holes in the ground and keep their food in underground storage. New plants can have problems with their behavior, and yet, they aren’t always aware of which places they keep the food they eat!

FAQ

What is the most effective squirrel repellent?

As we mentioned above, the strongest and at the same time natural way to get rid of pests is the use of strong breaths against the flying squirrel and ground squirrels.

What is a natural deterrent for squirrels?

In order to get rid of squirrels, you need to create a special spray (cayenne paper spray for example can be used) and spray them with problem areas. This can help to deter squirrels.
*As a bonus tip, try to use this method for other pests which annoy you with their presence in your home, attic, garden, or yard.

What smell do squirrels hate the most?

Squirrels hate the most pungent smell of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion, black pepper, white pepper, and peppermint oil. Use this list to deter rid of squirrels with cayenne pepper spray or cider vinegar spray.

Do squirrels leave the attic during the day?

Yes, squirrels don’t usually spend all their time in the attic. They can spend the whole day outside if the weather is warm. But they usually hide at home at night.

Will bleach keep squirrels away?

Yes, people used to resort to using bleach against squirrels and also used naphthalene, ammonia, and even natural human hair or dog hair.
Their use was due to the fact that all these things could create a very unpleasant smell for dead squirrel and therefore were natural repellents for pests.
You may not be surprised that bleach or ammonia was used, but ask how the hair could be used for deterring squirrels? Yes, we understand your surprise. But it’s very simple.
Pests are afraid of people, and the smell from human hair created the illusion of human presence. The little creatures were scared and did not come to this place.

What is the best squirrel repellents?

The most effective are pepper-based taste deterrents that have been proven to work. Squirrels like to dig up and eat bulbs. When planting bulbs, dip them in repellent and then cover them with a thick layer of sharp mulch that squirrels will not want to dig into.
using this method you can easily deter dead squirrel. Or try to use peppermint oil on your plants to deter squirrels and other small animals that annoy you every day.

Will mothballs kill ground squirrels?

Yes, they will.

Squirrels in attic
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Final words

It’s time, to sum up. From this article, you learned how to deal with squirrels using mothballs, learned the pros and cons of this method, and also familiarized yourself with other methods of getting rid of rodents (trap with peanut butter, etc.).

We hope our methods have helped you and now you can chase squirrels away easily.

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