Moth ball question

[Steve B]

Last summer, we had a chipmunk make a home in the wall of our summer cabin. We went to the local ACE to ask what to put in there to drive him out. It was WAY at the top of a 16' ladder to get to the opening. They said put in mothballs. Well, my wife must have bought 25# of mothballs. I put a lot in there.

Fast forward. At the beginning of this spring, I got on climbing gear and went up and put sheet metal over three or four holes. No more chipmunks. Now only the scent of mothballs.

How long does it take for mothballs to quit stinking? When we go up to the cabin, you can smell it when you first walk in. Then, I guess you get used to it or it anesthetizes your nose.

I have thought of pulling a couple of boards (not an easy thing) to get to the mothballs, but am not sure I could get to them all even then.

Steve

[dadiOH]

As long as they exist, they will smell. They will gradually sublime (change to a gas which is what you smell) but how long before they totally disappear I cannot guess. It would depend on air flow to some extent I would think.

[Joseph Meehan]

The smell until they are gone. They are slowly evaporating.

[Goedjn]

Well, shoving a hair-dryer in there will cause them to sublimate much faster, but I don't know how combustable the resulting gas is, in concentration.

[Stubby]

I had to attend "ground school" when I was learning to fly. The instructor was talking about freezing being what happens when a liquid (water) turns into a solid (ice). He asked for an example of something that sublimes-- turns directly from a solid to a gas. A muffled answer came from the back row, "tacos".

[Yepp]

Thanks, now I have to clean Miller beer from my monitor!!

Have a good one!

Rich

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Last summer, we had a chipmunk make a home in the wall of our summer cabin. :) We went to the local ACE to ask what to put in there to drive him out. It :) was WAY at the top of a 16' ladder to get to the opening. They said put in :) mothballs. Well, my wife must have bought 25# of mothballs. I put a lot in :) there. :) Impossible to say how long the odor may linger...in the future if you feel the need to use them place them in an old stocking then place the stocking near where you want it, then when the problem is gone remove the stocking.

Could always go freak out the Ace manager and let him know since they, in professional context, suggested to use them and now you feel they are responsible for possible health issues and that you expect them to pay for the clean up.

[Richard J Kinch]

The sad thing is, not only have you polluted your house with a foul odor and carcinogen, the evidence is that it doesn't even repel animals. It's a myth.

[Bob]

The homeowners are animals, and it is repeling them.

Bob