How To Ward Off Pests Without Harming Them: Safe, Humane DIY Deterrents (And a Crucial Safety Warning)

 Although critters are a natural part of the world and should be respected from a distance, that doesn’t mean we want them making themselves at home in our houses or gardens. Traditional traps and poisons are cruel and dangerous, but many of us long for a gentle, DIY method that will simply deter unwanted pests and encourage them to stay out in the wild where they belong.

Recently, a viral Facebook post by a woman named Elizabeth Liesch caught the internet's attention. She shared that she successfully keeps mice, rats, skunks, snakes, coyotes, and javelina away from her property. Her method? Cutting “V” shapes into plastic containers, filling them with water, and dropping in four to six mothballs, claiming the water-soluble scent lasts a long time and drives pests away.

It sounds like a simple, clever trick. However, before you rush to buy mothballs and set them around your yard, we need to pause for a very important safety conversation.

While the intention behind this DIY hack is wonderful—wanting to deter pests without harming them—the use of mothballs outdoors in water is actually highly dangerous, illegal in many places, and harmful to the exact environment we are trying to protect.

Let’s explore why we need to skip the mothballs, and instead look at truly safe, humane, and minimal-ingredient DIY methods to keep your home pest-free.

🛑 The Truth About Mothballs: Why We Must Skip Them

It is incredibly important to understand that mothballs are not just strong-smelling deodorizers; they are solid pesticides. They are made of either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which are toxic chemicals.

Why the "Mothball in Water" Hack is Dangerous: