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

Although critters are natural and should be respected from a distance, most people don’t want them in homes or gardens. A viral Facebook post by Elizabeth Liesch claimed she deters pests using a simple setup: “cutting “V” shapes into plastic containers, filling them with water, and dropping in four to six mothballs,” saying it keeps mice, rats, skunks, snakes, and even coyotes away.

Before copying this idea, there is an important safety issue. While the goal is humane pest control, using mothballs outdoors in water is dangerous and in many places illegal. The intention may be good, but the method can harm the environment and wildlife instead of protecting it.