Are Mothball or Ammonia an Effective Squirrel Deterrent


For some, finding a way to keep squirrels off of their property is a major problem. These animals can be quite messy and can destroy the look of your home, especially if you are a person who has a garden. In addition, they can get into your house, tearing apart your attic or the walls of your home. They really can be a nuisance.

To try to keep squirrels away from their house, many people have turned to commercial repellents. However, there are a group of people who believe that using such things as mothballs or ammonia will do the trick. The question is do these products work as a squirrel deterrent?


The Science Sounds Logical

When you read about these products, it seems to make sense that they would effectively work. Both mothballs and ammonia contain chemicals that are irritating to wildlife such as squirrels. The strong smell of ammonia, for example, is irritating to the nose of most people. Just imagine how irritating it would be to a squirrel who has a far superior sense of smell than a human being.

If you have ever been to a gas station, then you know what we are talking about here. The smell of the urinal cakes that is found in the toilet of most men's rooms is overwhelming. If you didn't have to go to the bathroom it would likely drive you out. It would seem the same thing would work to keep away nuisance animals such as squirrels.


The Science Betrays Us

While it can have some effect, the reality is that these types of products have a minimal impact best. They will irritate the squirrel, but the ability of squirrels to climb and maneuver limits their effectiveness to the point where they are a waste of your money.

Consider the problem with using such products as these. It is the ability of squirrels to climb and walk across such things as tree branches and telephone wires that makes it impossible to use a product like this. You would literally have to cover your entire yard and the outside of your home to keep the animals off. That's not only a costly option, but is also one that you may not like. 

Every time it rained the chemicals from these products would get into your soil. That would likely kill your grass, bushes, and your garden. Plus, every time it rained you would have to replace the mothballs or ammonia that were washed away by the rainfall. That could get costly as well.

It would be nice if a product like this worked well, but they simply don't work against a cunning animal like the squirrel. They have far too much maneuverability to make any of these options workable, meaning you need to look somewhere else. 

If you are really having these kinds of problems with squirrels you may want to hire a professional to assist you. There are some treatments you can use, but most of them are only available through a professional animal control agent.



Go back to the pestcontrolsquirrel.com home page.