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tomf
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Mothball time.

I have an animal trying to get under the crawl space under part of my house. I am going to get some boxes of moth balls and put them in the crawl space.
I had skunks get in before; NOT A GOOD THING!!!!

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Kisal
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A bright light, like a shop light, and a loud radio will help, too. Ammonia-soaked rags will work, as do the moth balls.

The critter is looking for a warm, dark place, so do everything you can to make the area different from that. :)

a0c8c
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I'd be careful with mothballs, their poisonous. Older moth balls contained naphthalene but they stopped that due to flammability. New mothballs contain 1,4-Dichlorobenzene. Both chemicals can be real bad if they get into your system, espcially 1,4-Dichlorobenzene since it's fat soluable so it stays in your system for a long time, if not indefintately(depending on if you lose weight). They work by releasing those chemicals as a gas, and so if that gas enters the houe it can be bad for your health.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothball

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tomf
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I do not smell them in the house and I did not know they were bad for you. I thought they had to be some what of a posion or they would not kill moths.

I put some ammonia around the vents Sunday. I am going to do the light trick this week. maybe I could put one of my guitar amps facing down and crank it up. :wink:

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applestar
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maybe I could put one of my guitar amps facing down and crank it up. :wink:
I like THAT! :lol:

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Kisal
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Anything that will create noise, light and activity will discourage the critter. Then, of course, you have to block the entrance, or it will come back. Or another one will find the place.

I once got an old possum out from under a garden shed by just stomping on the wooden floor. He came scootin' out, and the owner and I blocked up the entrance, effectively hanging out the "No Vacancy" sign. :wink:

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tomf
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I put 2 boxes of mothballs, some rags with ammonia on them and a light under the house. I can not smell any of it in the house so maybe I will not die.
I had thought all the ways in were blocked so I do not know where it got in. I went around looking and did not see any place they could get in, but the house is like 65' by 70' so I will keep looking as I may have missed some thing. The house has no garage so I am adding a 20' x 36' garage to the now, more places to keep the critters out of. Plus 2 out buildings. I wish the house had a basement they make such good extra space to have work shops and stuff things in. And it is easy to keep the beasts out off them. All houses should have them, I was from Boston where most of them do.

When we moved in we had some skunks under the house, this was not a good thing as they let go with some stink.

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Kisal
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Could the critter have gone in through the opening you used when you put in the deterrents? Be careful that you don't block the only way in & out.

Sometimes, I would put a dish of canned dog or cat just inside the entrance, then temporarily block it closed. After about 5 days, I would check the food. If it hadn't been disturbed, then I knew the animal wasn't under the house, and it was safe to permanently block the opening.

Make sure to check all the screens on the foundation vents. Test each one, because they could look secure, but really not be. If one is even loose just at a corner or along one edge, it might be enough to allow entry for an animal. :)

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tomf
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Ooh good point I would not want a smelly dead animal under the house. I have not blocked any thing new so how ever it got in I hope it gets out that way. The dog food idea is a good one, thanks.

a0c8c
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I agree with Kisal, don't let it die under there. We had a rat die in betweent he first and second floor of my parents house(poison apparently worked too fast) and the house reaked for days. Had to rip up the floor to get rid of it, and the smell about knocked us out.

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tomf
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I had skunks and wow what a smell.



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