Do mothballs or ammonia help repel birds?

No matter what kind of problem with pests that you may have around your home, you can be sure that someone has a solution on how you can handle this quick and easy without having to pay a lot of money. The internet is frequently littered with all kinds of these stories, as everyone seems to have a top 10 list of what is sure to work, or a can't miss solution to any problem you may be having.

One of the most common you will be reading about is the use of mothballs or ammonia. It does not matter what pest you are trying to get rid of, you can be sure that someone has a solution that involves the use of mothballs or ammonia. It seems to be the surefire solution no matter what animal or insect you are trying to keep away. 

The truth is that there are some instances where there is some merit to this. Ammonia is quite strong and can have some effects on different animals that will cause them to go away. The same can be said of mothballs. Because of the compounds that are used in the mothball, it would seem likely that it would work in keeping some animals and insects away. After all, it works on moths, so why not other kinds of pesky critters.

It is for this reason that many wonder if mothballs and ammonia will help to keep birds away from their property. The principle seems the same. Birds have a fairly strong sense of smell for the most part, so they should be repelled away as any other animal would be. It sounds great if you think about it, but the answer is that this does not really work at all. Truthfully, it makes sense that it does not.

Consider why these work as repellants against mother other animals and insects. Those critters have to go across the ammonia or the mothballs to be able to get to where they want. This is not true of birds. If they are affected by the compounds, then the solution for them is to simply fly over your life that you have placed to keep them out. They are able to bypass your plan all together. That is why this strategy is completely useless.

There is really only one way to use these compounds and have it work – to completely immerse your home in the compound. As sad as this is to say, you would have to spray ammonia or put mothballs over the vast majority of your property to keep them away. Otherwise, they will simply fly to a place that does not have the compounds and set up show there.

There are some who may think that this is still a good plan, but consider how ammonia smells for a moment. I bet most can barely stand the smell in their bathroom. Do you really want that all over your property? Consider what you home would smell like. You would never have guests ever again, which may be a blessing to some.

In addition, consider the damage that this will do to your home. The grass and other vegetation will be killed by the compounds that are contained in mothballs and ammonia. You will have a dry, arid property that smells like you just walked into a gas station toilet. If that seems appealing to you then scaring away birds is the least of your concerns. You simply cannot use these products have any kind of success against birds. It just won't work.

If you are looking for real options that work then you need to consider other options. Things like removing away their food sources and getting a large pet can really make a big difference. Birds are going to keep coming around if they find that they have a place to get food, and so you have to remove these kinds of things so that they will move onto another location to get their nutrition. This means you will need to stop using bird feeders, take out your cat of dog dishes and move them inside, and make sure that your trashcan lids are on tight and that your garden is well covered so that they cannot get at any food sources on your property. If you do things like this you will have a lot more success for sure.

Also, a large dog or a cat can help you in deterring these animals from coming onto your property. They are quite good at scaring away birds. Dogs will continually chase after birds that are within reach and their barking and growling will scare away many birds. Cats can climb well, so they have no issue with chasing after a bird that is on a fence, in a tree, or on the roof. They can be quite effective in keeping birds away.

While maybe nothing will work with absolute certainty, you can be sure that ammonia and mothballs will have a very limited success at best. Purchasing these items simply becomes a waste of your money, which is not something you want to do at all. You want to employ something that will have a good chance of succeeding. These things will simply not work for you however. You will need to try things that will produce much better results. Look at the other options suggested and you will most likely be much more satisfied. 



Also read our other bird tip: Pigeons In Building Removal: What I The Best Way To Do It