If you are thinking about using moth balls to keep deer away from your flowers, think again. Although moth balls do deter deer, they are also toxic to other animals, including your precious pets, children, and yourself. So, you should not use moth balls to keep deer away.
Instead, you should pick a more environmentally friendly deterrent, such as predator urine or cinnamon.
Luckily, there are tons of affordable, effective, and safe products that you can use to scare deer away from your gardens and flowers.
To learn more about why moth balls should not be used to scare away deer, keep reading.
We explain why moth balls technically work, why you shouldn’t use them, and other alternatives you can use besides moth balls.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Will Moth Balls Keep Deer Away From Your Flowers?
Technically speaking, moth balls will keep deer away from your flowers and home.
These pesticides have a strong odor that deer, moths, and other creatures cannot stand. Because of the strong smell, you can expect moth balls to keep deer away from your flowers and home.
That being said, moth balls will do more than simply deter deer:
- Moth balls are highly toxic and are even dangerous for humans to inhale.
- If your children or pets were to get ahold of the moth balls, they would undergo serious illness in response.
In other words, you can expect moth balls to do more than just keep deer away from your garden.
They are likely to keep away other wildlife, including birds and bees, because of their potent smell.
Even Worse: The moth balls may poison the wildlife in the area.
What Makes Moth Balls So Dangerous?
Because moth balls are so small, you might be wondering what makes them so dangerous.
Moth balls contain a pesticide called naphthalene. Pesticide is what keeps deer and moths away from the moth balls.
Whenever ingested or smelled by most creatures, the pesticide is highly dangerous.
Even if other animals are not around to taste or smell the moth balls, the moth balls are still dangerous.
Eventually, they will vaporize, causing toxic gas to permeate the air. While the moth balls decompose, the chemicals will also sink into the soil and enter local groundwater, river, and lake reserves.
Just by being exposed to moth balls, humans and other animals can experience:
- headaches
- nausea
- eye irritation
- nose irritation
- and coughing
Moth ball exposure can even cause hemolytic anemia and sometimes cancer.
Needless to say, moth balls are incredibly dangerous and should not be used irresponsibly.
Should I Use Moth Balls To Keep Deer Away?
Because of how dangerous moth balls are for the environment, you should not use them to keep deer away.
Though the moth balls will keep your deer away, they have serious implications that can also harm if not kill your pets, children, and surrounding wildlife.
Not to mention, using moth balls as a deer deterrent is actually illegal.
According to the Law: All pesticides can only be used for their intended purpose. Since moth balls are not produced as a deer deterrent, it is illegal to use them as such.
Other Ways To Keep Deer Away From Your Flowers
If you need to keep deer away from your flowers and garden, don’t reach for moth balls.
Instead, opt for other strong-smelling substances that get the job done without endangering your beloved family members or wildlife in the area.
The whole reason why moth balls work is that they are strong smelling.
Instead of using dangerous strong smells like moth balls, all you need to do is find products that are strong-smelling but still safe to place around your garden.
Predator Urine
One of the safest ways to deter deer is to use predator urine.
You can purchase synthetic or real predator urine to scare away the deer. This liquid will be made to smell like the urine of coyotes and wolves so as to intimidate deer from the area.
Although the smell is intimidating, it won’t harm the deer or other creatures in the area.
To apply predator urine around your garden, read the instructions on the back of the bottle.
Most Likely: You will only need to sprinkle the liquid around the garden so that deer can smell it all around the area.
Human Hair
Anyone who has been around deer or even seen them from a distance knows how skittish they are.
Deer are especially skittish around humans and dislike the smell of them greatly. Just by placing human hair in your garden, deer are less likely to approach it.
Simply place human hair all around the garden. Even though this may seem a bit gross, it will get the job done, and it is highly affordable.
You will need to replace the human hair as it gets broken down and washed away by the rain.
Kitchen Supplies
There are certain ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen that deer can’t stand.
Mint oil, garlic, cinnamon, citrus, and hot peppers are all examples of natural food sources that deter deer.
All of these food sources taste great to us, but their potent aroma and taste are unbearable to dear and many other creatures.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you can technically keep deer away by using moth balls, but you should not do so.
Because of how dangerous moth balls are, it’s better to go with safer alternatives that are known for deterring deer but aren’t as dangerous.
