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Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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Posted by NeedAnswers1 No. Virginia (My Page) on Tue, Sep 21, 04 at 7:06
A few weeks ago, I posted a message about suspecting we have skunks in our yard...and possibly one or more nesting under a little deck area. I wouldn't mind, except for the fact that once every couple of weeks, our house gets invaded by their odor.
It happened again last night. I woke up in the middle of the night to smell skunk -- so strong! It's 7 a.m. and I still smell it. Time to do something about it.
I'd like to know a humane way (as in, no traps) to get them to move. A couple people mentioned throwing mothballs or human urine under the deck area. Anyone have any other solutions...or any thoughts on which would be most effective of the two suggestions I have so far?
Thanks!
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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Using mothballs in this way is a violation of Federal Law. The only permitted way to use mothballs is in a closed container.
To keep unwanted critters out from under the porches I put in flat black painted plywood and covered that with white lattice so it appears from a ways back that the lattice is the only thing there. So now when I have one of those critters between me and the house and they make a mad dash for safety under the porch they run smack into the plywood, bounce back, sit there dazed for a time and leave when they recover. I seldom see them twice. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Call a wildlife relocation service. Skunks are not something for a do it yourselfer to mess about with. They can carry rabies, and you do NOT want to be messing about with them as they can do more than smell just a little bit. None of the "repellents" are worth the money and time you'd waste on them. They are a joke. But, a rabid skunk isn't. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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- Posted by Rosa 4-ish (My Page) on
Sun, Oct 10, 04 at 9:19
| I have a friend that used fox urine on rags that she placed under and near her shed They vacated in no time. Not cheap but very effective. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| The only thing that worked for us in getting rid of a -pregnant- skunk under our back shed was LIGHT. Skunks HATE LIGHTED AREAS and therefore go where it is dark. Insert a strong light source into the hole using a long pole. It worked overnight in our case. My neighbor did the same thing but turned it off during the day so the skunk came back. You must keep in on for about a week for it to work, imho.
Good luck! |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Skunks are nocturnal. Find the hole thay are using to get under your house. Wait until after dark and plug the hole. If you plug during the day you trap them in. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| I have a porch with boards 1 inch apart and the critters found a way. How do you place or disperse moth balls so they are the most effectivef? |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| mepaulab, you don't because it is illegal to use moth balls in any way not outlined on the package. Because these are known carcinogen you should not breath what emits from them. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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I just spread moth balls all around the house.
(illegal?? hahaha - I'd like to see them come arrest me for "spilling" moth balls!!!!) |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| I put moth balls under our deck years ago for critters. Tied them into the toe of pantyhose and hung them--easy to retrieve. Wasn't too pleasant eating on the deck though. Especially under the umbrella. Guests said it was like eating in grandmas closet. Also kept a coffe can full in the garden with holes punched in plastic lids on both sides. Stayed dry and lasted a long time. And didn't worry about dogs eating them. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| When you put moth balls, with the active ingrediant Naphthalene, someplace where you can breath those fumes you are exposing your self, and others to a class 1 carcinogen. Keep this exposure in mind when, some years later granted, you come down with lung cancer. Since the problems that will occur from exposure to these kind of substance is not immediate many people think there is no problem, but like cigarette smoke the damage may take some years to become known and then it is too late to do much about it. Ignorance is not bliss. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| OH please! throw a few mothballs under your deck or porch (like we did) and your skunk problems will be gone. just make sure it's a well ventilated area and isn't in an area that takes in fresh air supply for your house. |
Here is a link that might be useful: blog
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Old Mothballs used Naphalene but new moth balls use 1,4 dichlorobenzene. neither of these chemicals has ever been shown to cause cancer in humans. Naphalene was shown to be a carcinogen in mice exposed to it daily after two years of continuous exposure (nice experiment). 1,4 dichlorobenzen can cause hemolytic anemia if you have G6PD (rare genetic disorder) but is otherwise considered safe. Please stop spreading fear. To suggests you can leave these in your home for years top ward off moths from eating your suit but cant put them under your house to ward off rabid skunks is not only fear mongering, but irresponsible. Moth balls are safe, biodegradable, and NOT known to be carcinogenic in humans. Stop spreading the FEAR. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| drpjpm, I am not sure where you get your information from from everything I find states that moth balls are made of Naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene and both are listed as class 1 carcinogens and hazardous materials. Numerous reports from emergency rooms around the world tell us that children that ingest, eat, moth balls go into seizures very quickly. Simply because you do not develop cancer right after exposure to the moth balls does not mean you wil not develop cancer from that exposure. Attached is one link, of many, that will tell you what I have stated on these forums many times. |
Here is a link that might be useful: hazards of Moth Balls
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Hope this helps. Re: "Oh please." I thought this was an integrated pest management forum? Mothballs are toxic. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Solving problems with skunks
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Throw me a freakin bone kimmsr!! To say that you waste your time spreading fear because you do research all day on the effects of moth balls being hazardous is a plain joke. Like Drpjpm has suggested that the newer (in the last 15 years) moth balls manufactured carry a non carcinogenic ingredient and are not immediately harmful. However your research of people ingesting moth balls (whether they be the old form or new ones) would obviously pose as equal threat of somebody ingesting windshield wiper fluid because it looks like Kool-Aid. So DUHHHH everything with a chemical if not used properly pose a serious threat. Since you are afraid of the exposure to moth balls, you might want to never leave your house again. Exposure to the united states pollution epidemic may cause you to get SARS or POLIO or more common, second hand smoke!! Get a life would ya?!?! |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| Read the label on the box or package of your moth balls, and follow those directions. |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| I agree that Mothballs are pretty nasty in closed in places and it's probably not a good idea to leave them laying around the house. But, HELLOOOOO, the skunks are OUTSIDE!! If you want some other ideas on how to get rid of skunks, watch the movie, "CADDY SHACK" |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| this is found on WIKIPEDIA. Older mothballs consisted primarily of naphthalene, but due to naphthalene's flammability, modern mothballs use 1,4-dichlorobenzene instead. Both of these ingredients have a strong, pungent odor often associated strongly with mothballs. Camphor, an insect repellent, can be used in mothballs too. |
Here is a link that might be useful: wikipedia.org
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| The Wikipedia article has some misinformation in it since for a number of years that have beed two different, and just as hazardous, chemicals used to make moth balls. As this information from Purdue states treat all moth balls as a hazardous waste when disposing of them. |
Here is a link that might be useful: About Moth Balls
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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| OK GUYS...... I would use moth balls, pee on my own front porch, ddt, flame thrower to get rid of this skunk...... get my point? I called the animal control in our city three weeks ago. They said call the conservation department. I called the conservation department, they brought a "live" trap last week. They put cat food and apples within said trap. Since, I have caught a neighbor's cat twice, refilled the catfood and apples twice in the last three days, and still have the glorious honor to walk out my front door and have the STINK of skunk every morning. SO tonight..... I am not only buying one box of mothballs but two..... I have a wrap around porch! I will let you all know how it goes! |
RE: Mothballs or urine? What is best way to get rid of skunk?
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- Posted by donaldb 5B Worcester, MA (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 22, 09 at 10:26
| I "accidentally" dropped mothballs where I had seen skunks coming and going under a porch and never saw them after that. A pest management firm wanted $250 to remove a skunk I had not wanted to trap in a Havahat trap. I was trying to get a woodchuck. |
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