Will Using Ammonia Or Mothballs Work To Repel Groundhogs? (no)

Using Ammonia or Mothballs As Groundhog Repellent

The idea of using ammonia or mothballs to repel groundhogs sounds good, at least on paper. It is an awful smell that should make any animal dislike the area. The promises are big, too. Everywhere you look, there are people saying both of these will repel groundhogs, along with a slew of other animals.

It may sound like a great solution, but that is sadly not the case. It would be great to have a hands off, highly effective repellent for groundhogs, and all animals, but that is not what you have here. In fact, using ammonia or mothballs may be a bigger problem than you realize. It can lead to serious damage and health concerns.



Truth About Ammonia and Mothballs

Ammonia and mothballs grew in popularity as people wanted at-home, supposedly safe ways to deal with pests. There is this idea that, because it is not a product you buy in a bottle, it is somehow safer. People do not view either as the dangerous chemicals and both are cheaper. Both ammonia and mothballs are dangerous chemicals. Neither of them belong on the ground or anywhere around your property, certainly not accessible by animals or small children.

Having either on your property can cause serious health risks in anything exposed to it. It can damage your yard, harm animals, harm pets or children, or even harm you. Neither work to repel groundhogs, either. The smell is not going to make groundhogs move. It will not affect them whatsoever. They are going to ignore it and continue going about their day.

Ways to Remove Groundhogs

Repellents are not going to work as well as you would hope. Instead, you can use exclusion tactics and trapping to remove the groundhogs from your property. Take down as many of their tunnels as possible, leaving only one. You want them to have a single point where they can leave, forcing them to go somewhere else.

Remove food, as well. Anything that keeps the groundhogs on your property, remove it. Try to maintain as much of the property as you can. If all else fails, use traps. Traps are easy to place and show great results. Professionals prefer the use of traps as they have a high success rate when used properly.

Neither ammonia nor mothballs are going to repel groundhogs. The smell is not enough to bother them, and the effects of both can cause problems you might not have considered.


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