How to Control a Moth Problem on My Outdoor Plants Using Mothballs
Mothballs are generally used to keep moths away from clothes in storage. Some gardeners use mothballs in the garden to keep away pests. Because of the toxic nature of mothball ingestion, though, placing mothballs on the ground around the garden is dangerous. Mothballs are a registered pesticide, and it is illegal to use them in a way other than as directed on the package label. Furthermore, mothballs break up in the rain and can be absorbed by garden crops. Therefore, at a minimum, mothballs should be kept elevated somehow. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Dig up any outdoor plants that are being eaten by moths and repot them in hangable planters.
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Place some mothballs in a nylon mesh bag--the type used for produce at the market like shallots and onions. The aim is to keep the mothballs from blowing off and poisoning pets down below.
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Push a nail through the mesh to close the bag, and press the nail into the plant's soil.
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Monitor the mothballs to make sure other animals don't knock them out of the pots. Expect squirrels and birds to be able to reach them and knock them to the ground. Wind can easily blow them to the ground as well.
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Replace broken up pieces with whole mothballs, because rain breaks mothballs up and they can fall through the mesh. They lose their repellant effectiveness after a rain, as well.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider using BT as an alternative to mothballs. It is a biological treatment, as opposed to a chemical treatment. "BT" refers to a species of bacteria that selectively attacks certain insects. BT is not harmful to beneficial insects such as bees, according to BackyardGardener.com. BT has virtually no measurable effect in most insects, according to Ohio State University. Use the kurstaki variant of BT for most kinds of moths.
Do not leave mothballs on the soil of vegetables you plan to eat.
A child's blood cells can be damaged from eating only one mothball. A pet can get ill from only one mothball.
Codling moths, which are prevalent in gardens, burrow into the plant, and so don't get much opportunity to ingest the BT bacteria. Application to the soil as well may help. This limits its effectiveness. Because BT degrades, it must be reapplied every week.
