Do Mothballs And Ammonia Help Repel Squirrels?

Mothballs and ammonia may work temporarily to discourage the squirrels from living in your attic. However this is like applying band aid on a wound that needs stitching. This is because;

● Generally people ventilate their attics well; therefore the offensive smells will go away in a shorter time than it takes the squirrels to relocate.
● The smell does not spell mortal danger for the squirrel. It may therefore decide to wait it out.
● Generally, the mothballs and ammonia are placed in certain areas and not all over the place. The squirrel will just move the nest to a new different location in the attic.

Do they work at all?
As stated temporarily, yes they do. However remember;

● The squirrels will come back once the air is clear.
● The squirrel may just learn the spots that do not repel them.

So what is the solution?

Permanent removal — this involves;
● Use of traps, which can then be used to relocate the squirrels to a place where they will not find their way back to your home.
● By use of one way doors. These make it impossible for the squirrel to get back inside once it has left the attic. They can be found in stores or one can do it themselves.
● One can opt for the services of animal control too as they are well trained to humanely remove the animals and relocate to safe grounds.
● A method that is not popular or very recommendable is use of poison. This may prove tedious though as one must meet certain regulations and may have to deal with the smell of rotting animals a long time.

Why do i need to remove them in the first place?
● They create noise disturbances.
● May cause illness like tick fever as they carry ticks and fleas.
● Are destructive to your house, the attic especially, exposing wiring and insulation.
● May build colonies in your attic.

It’s wise to remove them. Although one needs to be cautious, and when not sure, secure the services of professionals. Generally, the idea of mothballs and ammonia working is ill advised. It is best to seek permanent solutions that do not involve doing the job over and over again. Otherwise, every once in a while, they will come back and live in your chimney for weeks on end.