As long as they are only outside, I guess you are ok. Moth balls actually contain a carcinogen. My MIL died of lung cancer (hadn't smoked in 14 yrs)& she had put mothballs in her windows to ward of spiders for years. I had a chemist check & he told me about the carcinogen. I wouldn't mess with them myself.

This is not only my opinion but it is the law. No, no, no, no, no. You cannot use mothballs to repel anything but moths.

Mothballs are a registered pesticide. It is a federal offense to use them in any manner not specifically recommended on the package. No where on the package does it recommend using them to repel deer, snakes, skunks, etc. Stop and think about it. Do you see moth balls packaged and sold anywhere as animal repellents? No. Why? Because the ingredients in mothballs are too dangerous to be used in that manner.

If you have wildlife, dogs, cats, children or grandchildren, the use of mothballs is a very specific threat to their health and their lives. There are numerous documented cases of mothballs causing liver failure, blindness, etc. in pets exposed to them because some landowner decided to use the moth balls, illegally and off-label, as animal repellents. They are also highly toxic to humans.

Lifesblessings, please do not contaminate your property with these things. Of course, it is your property and you can to whatever you want, but I'd never, ever do it. Never. Just my opinion and you can ignore it, but I'd never expose my soil, my edible crops, the people and pets I love or the wildlife that shares this land with us to toxic mothballs.

This issue comes up every now and then and the poster is always excited....thinking they have found a "new" way to repel animals. The reality is that is it very dangerous and that is why you do not see reputable gardeners, garden centers, horticulturalists, garden writers, garden magazines, etc. recommending moth balls be used for this purpose.

Dawn