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Armadillos, Squirrels, Cats, Dogs—The Problem Doesn’t Matter; Mothballs are NEVER the Answer
Q. I have a real problem with armadillos digging up the yard. I have tried hot pepper, mothballs, fencing...all to no avail! Any suggestions other than waiting up all night to shoot them?
Although they recently renewed the registration of both toxic compounds used in the manufacture of mothballs and crystals, the EPA also warns that they are dangerous stuff. Their website notes that short-term exposure to the most common active ingredient, napathlene—by smelling or touching—is “associated with hemolytic anemia, damage to the liver, and neurological damage. Symptoms of acute exposure include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malaise, confusion, anemia, jaundice, convulsions, and coma. Again, this is from the EPA, not some hippy dippy anti-pesticide group. The EPA also classifies naphthalene as a possible human carcinogen.
Nice stuff, eh? You can see why so many garden writers and ‘natural remedy’ books seem to think that mothballs are some kind of nutrient. Again, you don’t need these chemical killers to achieve anything in your home or landscape. The environment doesn’t need them either.
OK—now onto the weird armored foe of our Louisiana listeners. Armadillos are notoriously hard to trap, as they greatly prefer live food. Much like moles, their diet consists mainly of worms and grubs in the soil, and they can tear up the landscape quite a bit looking for that food.
Some experts seem to have mastered the art of trapping them using live worms (in a porous bag to keep the worms from wriggling away). You can try this tactic yourself, but trap placement is also said to be key (and darned difficult). And armadilloes carry lots of diseases—rabies and salmonella in addition to the legendary leprosy pathogen—so I’m liking that ‘hire an expert trapper’ option more every minute.
Oh, and its even more imperative to call in a pro when they’re trying to get under a house, as that’s typically the behavior of a mother making a den. Many people have disposed of a mom-adillo only to learn just how nasty a house can become when unattended young pass away under the floorboards. An expert trapper will remove any babies and rig an exclusion device that doesn’t allow the mother’s rentry if she isn’t successfully trapped.
Of course even successful trapping doesn’t stop new ones from moving into the area. If you live in dillo-land, keep them out of garden areas with a fence sunk a solid foot in the soil and extending upwards several feet. If repel them you must, try a heavy application of deer repellant or one of the castor oil products designed for use against moles and voles; some are also labeled for use on armadillos. (I take a bottle of the Messina company’s “Armidillo Repellant” to some appearances to get a quick laugh from people who think they have it bad with squirrels and deer.) A fence whose bottom is treated with deer repellant or castor oil to discourage digging sounds like an ideal solution.
Q. We have a neighbor who lets his dog roam freely; he relieves himself on our shrubs so often he’s killed some. I tried granular mothballs, but it didn’t work. Our community has a leash law, and dog control has been to their house a few times but the dog still roams and the neighbors just don’t care. Is there anything I can use to stop this?
Other emailing mothball users (all of whom note failure with their use, by the way) include Beth Ann in Norwich, CT whose problem is voles and squirrels munching on her Spring bulbs; Sharon in North Central PA who is terrified of harmless bug-eating garter snakes; and Sallie In Southeast NC who has roaming cat issues.
All but Sharon will find multiple solutions to their specific problems in the previous Questions of the Week linked to above. And guess what? Those answers don’t include mothballs!
Oh, and what about Sharon’s snakes? Sorry, Shar—but the problem here is your attitude towards nature, not anything those harmless creatures are doing. I know you said in your email, “and don’t tell me to get over it”, but as you seem to already know, that is the answer. Share the planet, please.
Helpful Products From Gardens Alive!
Plantskydd® Animal Repellent - This ready-to-use formula provides natural protection from a variety of garden-munching animals for up to 6 months.
Tree Guards - Just about anything outdoors is fair game to four-legged nibblers; protect your delicate young trees with tree guards.
Mole-ReliefTM Mole Repellent - Mole-Relief discourages moles from digging up your lawn and garden without harming them. All natural and non-toxic, it can be used around kids and pets.
Q. I have a real problem with armadillos digging up the yard. I have tried hot pepper, mothballs, fencing...all to no avail! Any suggestions other than waiting up all night to shoot them?
- ---Colleen in Lake Charles, LA
- ---Noreen, just outside of Covington, LA;
on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain
Although they recently renewed the registration of both toxic compounds used in the manufacture of mothballs and crystals, the EPA also warns that they are dangerous stuff. Their website notes that short-term exposure to the most common active ingredient, napathlene—by smelling or touching—is “associated with hemolytic anemia, damage to the liver, and neurological damage. Symptoms of acute exposure include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malaise, confusion, anemia, jaundice, convulsions, and coma. Again, this is from the EPA, not some hippy dippy anti-pesticide group. The EPA also classifies naphthalene as a possible human carcinogen.
Nice stuff, eh? You can see why so many garden writers and ‘natural remedy’ books seem to think that mothballs are some kind of nutrient. Again, you don’t need these chemical killers to achieve anything in your home or landscape. The environment doesn’t need them either.
OK—now onto the weird armored foe of our Louisiana listeners. Armadillos are notoriously hard to trap, as they greatly prefer live food. Much like moles, their diet consists mainly of worms and grubs in the soil, and they can tear up the landscape quite a bit looking for that food.
Some experts seem to have mastered the art of trapping them using live worms (in a porous bag to keep the worms from wriggling away). You can try this tactic yourself, but trap placement is also said to be key (and darned difficult). And armadilloes carry lots of diseases—rabies and salmonella in addition to the legendary leprosy pathogen—so I’m liking that ‘hire an expert trapper’ option more every minute.
Oh, and its even more imperative to call in a pro when they’re trying to get under a house, as that’s typically the behavior of a mother making a den. Many people have disposed of a mom-adillo only to learn just how nasty a house can become when unattended young pass away under the floorboards. An expert trapper will remove any babies and rig an exclusion device that doesn’t allow the mother’s rentry if she isn’t successfully trapped.
Of course even successful trapping doesn’t stop new ones from moving into the area. If you live in dillo-land, keep them out of garden areas with a fence sunk a solid foot in the soil and extending upwards several feet. If repel them you must, try a heavy application of deer repellant or one of the castor oil products designed for use against moles and voles; some are also labeled for use on armadillos. (I take a bottle of the Messina company’s “Armidillo Repellant” to some appearances to get a quick laugh from people who think they have it bad with squirrels and deer.) A fence whose bottom is treated with deer repellant or castor oil to discourage digging sounds like an ideal solution.
Q. We have a neighbor who lets his dog roam freely; he relieves himself on our shrubs so often he’s killed some. I tried granular mothballs, but it didn’t work. Our community has a leash law, and dog control has been to their house a few times but the dog still roams and the neighbors just don’t care. Is there anything I can use to stop this?
- ---Gail in Massachusetts
Other emailing mothball users (all of whom note failure with their use, by the way) include Beth Ann in Norwich, CT whose problem is voles and squirrels munching on her Spring bulbs; Sharon in North Central PA who is terrified of harmless bug-eating garter snakes; and Sallie In Southeast NC who has roaming cat issues.
All but Sharon will find multiple solutions to their specific problems in the previous Questions of the Week linked to above. And guess what? Those answers don’t include mothballs!
Oh, and what about Sharon’s snakes? Sorry, Shar—but the problem here is your attitude towards nature, not anything those harmless creatures are doing. I know you said in your email, “and don’t tell me to get over it”, but as you seem to already know, that is the answer. Share the planet, please.
Helpful Products From Gardens Alive!
Plantskydd® Animal Repellent - This ready-to-use formula provides natural protection from a variety of garden-munching animals for up to 6 months.
Tree Guards - Just about anything outdoors is fair game to four-legged nibblers; protect your delicate young trees with tree guards.
Mole-ReliefTM Mole Repellent - Mole-Relief discourages moles from digging up your lawn and garden without harming them. All natural and non-toxic, it can be used around kids and pets.
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