Do Mothballs Keep Mice Away? Or Is that an Old Wives’ Tale?

Rodent control. It’s something all RVers need to think about at one point or another. As winter approaches and the little critters are looking for places to nest for the winter, we’re looking at an age-old question: “Do mothballs keep mice away?”

Those pesky little critters find ways to stow away in our rigs during camping trips in areas where mice are prevalent or when our rigs are stored for an extended period of time.

We’ve posted previously about how to keep invasive mice out of your RV for good. But today we’re focusing on whether the idea of mothballs repelling mice is based on fact or just an old wives’ tale.

Do mothballs work? Let’s find out!

What Are Mothballs?

Mothballs are small white balls made of either naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene. These toxic chemicals are solid at room temperature and over time they change to a gas that becomes strong-smelling toxic vapors.

Mothballs are toxic to humans and pets so they need to be used with extreme caution.

Why Are They Called Mothballs?

Mothballs were originally developed to address the problem of fabric-eating moths damaging clothes that were stored away.

Moths or moth larvae would create holes in garments that were stored for longer than a month or so. The idea was to toss a few mothballs into a drawer or storage chest. The poisonous vapor emitted from the mothballs would kill moths and their larvae, preventing the problem of the fabric being chewed.

So, mothballs were used as a form of pest control, and they earned their name from the fact that they originally targeted moths.

Do Mothballs Get Rid of Mice?

If you’ve ever had mice in your home, you know they can be very difficult to evict.

Mice can take up residence fairly easily because our homes and RVs have multiple entry points they can slip through very easily. 1/4 inch is all they need. One-quarter of an inch! For reference, that’s about the size of a pencil eraser.

Whether or not mothballs can get rid of mice is a different question than whether they’ll keep them away, though. If you’ve already got a mouse problem, mothballs are unlikely to be what you need.

While naphthalene can be a deterrent in large quantities, the amount of naphthalene in mothballs is not enough to get rid of mice and other rodents.

Instead, you may want to pick up some of these:

Alternatively, you can have a look at our video on how to make an emergency mouse trap. (YES – this really works!)

Do Mothballs Keep Mice Away?

According to pest control professionals, mothballs are not an effective deterrent to mice.  They note that while the amount of naphthalene is sufficient to address moths on fabric, it is not sufficient to deter mice and rats.

Moreover, we’ll repeat that naphthalene is toxic to humans and pets and isn’t environmentally friendly. Children or animals coming in contact with mothballs could ingest them, so they’re actually quite dangerous to have around your home or RV.

Exposure to naphthalene can damage blood cells. This can lead to hemolytic anemia, a condition that has been found in children who have eaten mothballs.

We do know that rodents tend to have an aversion to strong smells, however, so essential oils (which smell much better than mothballs) would be a safer way to introduce strong, repellent odors around your RV! Many RVers report that peppermint oil on cotton balls can be enough to deter mice. 

While we know that this hasn’t worked for everyone, even pest control professionals recommend the use of strong smells like peppermint or clove oil, ammonia, cayenne pepper, mint toothpaste, dryer sheets, vinegar, or tea bags.

You’ll hear many people claim that those smells are excellent deterrents, and you’ll hear many others claim that the mice loved the smells and made nests with the dryer sheets, ate the soap, etc. Different strokes for different mice, apparently!

Many RVers swear by the product Fresh Cab which is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and actually smells great (to humans).  About 80% of 9,000 Amazon reviewers say it works. About 7% say it’s a mouse snack. Your mileage may vary.

Have You Used Mothballs to Keep Mice Away?

Since there isn’t one solution that seems to work for all mice/situations, let us know what you’ve used to keep mice at bay and how well it has worked for you!

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