Mothball Neighbors Making Me Miserable

[Wendy31]

They're your next door neighbors?

At some point, you'll both be outside at the same time, & won't you at least then say "hi" & "welcome to the neighborhood"?

I'd want to know what the mothballs are for, so I'd just kinda casually mention it when saying hi for the first time - "I'm curious what the mothballs are for? I hope there's not a rodent/snake/critter/whatever problem..."

 

[TCRAIG]

Suck it up, go next door and introduce yourself. Welcome them to the neighborhood and then ask them politely why they are putting mothballs in the yard, and let them know that the smell is permeating everywhere, along with the risks of groundwater/soil contamination.

Agree - especially if they’re using the moth balls to keep neighbors PETS from using their yard as their toilets.

 

[disykat]

I think we (and I mean our society, probably especially me) need to be better about sticking up for the right to not have to smell people beyond their personal bubble. As a person with allergies/asthma in a world where everything thing is fragranced and now double fragranced so it remains longer, I'm tired of having to get up and remove myself from life. There are times I have to get up and move several times at church before I can find a place I can sit, leave performances with assigned seating, etc. because of this. And that's in addition to the people and places I simply choose to avoid due to their right to have their smells in their own space.

There needs to be a general rule that when fragrance is strong enough to travel beyond your personal bubble it becomes an intrusion and simply isn't appropriate. I shouldn't smell anyone from several feet away and they shouldn't be able to smell me. You shouldn't constantly smell your neighbors from your own yard. (I say constantly because there are exceptions like lawn mowing, burning, etc. that just have odors that travel further at times.) It seems like common sense.

I always feel bad when people act like I'm expecting others to be fragrance free for life. I'm not. I'm asking them to respect others and keep it at a level that doesn't move beyond those they are intimate with. Your neighbor can stink up their home however they want, but when it is stinking up your space it's an infringement on your rights.

Talk to your neighbor. If this is some sort of one time treatment that will be brief, you can probably deal. If it is something they think is okay for normal life - they are just WRONG. However, they won't know it's an issue (because frankly, people are stupid) if you don't stick up for yourself.

PS - If we were close, I have a gas mask you could borrow so it would be safe for you to go over there.

 

[Hikergirl]

OP, this is what comes up on Google

Mothballs are nearly 100% active ingredient, and the active ingredient may be either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Each active ingredient can cause different health effects if the exposure is high enough. Mothballs slowly turn from solids totoxic vapor. When you smell mothballs, you are inhaling the insecticide

I would be speaking to the neighbor based on the last line, especially if you have kids and pets that spend extended time outside.

 

[asta]

Our neighborhood has had problems with people walking their dogs and letting them pee on other people’s lawns and shrubbery. More than one neighbor has put mothballs out to keep the dogs off and keep their pee from killing plantings. Maybe this is why your neighbor is putting mothballs on the lawn.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Our neighborhood has had problems with people walking their dogs and letting them pee on other people’s lawns and shrubbery. More than one neighbor has put mothballs out to keep the dogs off and keep their pee from killing plantings. Maybe this is why your neighbor is putting mothballs on the lawn.

I don't think so, this isn't really a problem in our 'hood. And they've literally been moved in less than a week, so I doubt they would have had time to have a dog pee prob.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

They're your next door neighbors?

At some point, you'll both be outside at the same time, & won't you at least then say "hi" & "welcome to the neighborhood"?

I'd want to know what the mothballs are for, so I'd just kinda casually mention it when saying hi for the first time - "I'm curious what the mothballs are for? I hope there's not a rodent/snake/critter/whatever problem..."

Maybe. Seems kinda mean. "Hi, I'm Nurse Ratched, welcome to the neighborhood. By the by, why are you poisoning us?"

 

[lsyorke]

Our neighborhood has had problems with people walking their dogs and letting them pee on other people’s lawns and shrubbery. More than one neighbor has put mothballs out to keep the dogs off and keep their pee from killing plantings. Maybe this is why your neighbor is putting mothballs on the lawn.

This always blows my mind....when did it become a huge problem that dogs pee outside? It's not as if you can control when they pee. Ground hogs, squirrels etc are all peeing the yards also. Poop, I get it. Pee...really?

 

[Imzadi]

Maybe. Seems kinda mean. "Hi, I'm Nurse Ratched, welcome to the neighborhood. By the by, why are you poisoning us?"

Actually, it might be a good idea to meet your neighbors wearing your nursing uniform. When you say the mothballs are poison, they can take you at your word that you know what your are talking about. Although, also suggest they Google the info too.

 

[ols386]

We live in a wooded area and used to have a problem with moles tearing up our yard pretty severely. DH put mothballs in the mole holes. Haven’t had a problem since. I never smelled the moth balls when outside, so your neighbors must be putting tons of them in their yard. Not a pleasant smell. I hope you can get it resolved.

 

[asta]

This always blows my mind....when did it become a huge problem that dogs pee outside? It's not as if you can control when they pee. Ground hogs, squirrels etc are all peeing the yards also. Poop, I get it. Pee...really?

Dog pee has always harmed things like flowers, shrubs and grass. You can easily see the damage in brown spots and dead flowers. This is also compounded when the next dog and the next dog and so on comes along and pees in the same spot that a previous dog has marked. Other animals pee but usually not in a volume enough to damage landscaping. Gardeners have had to deal with this damage for a long time even if dog owners have not been aware. Stronger enforcement and adherence to leash laws might also be concentrating the pee into areas along sidewalks or pathways instead of being spread out into a wider area where a dog might roam. That is just a guess.

 

[ols386]

Dog pee has always harmed things like flowers, shrubs and grass. You can easily see the damage in brown spots and dead flowers. This is also compounded when the next dog and the next dog and so on comes along and pees in the same spot that a previous dog has marked. Other animals pee but usually not in a volume enough to damage landscaping. Gardeners have had to deal with this damage for a long time even if dog owners have not been aware. Stronger enforcement and adherence to leash laws might also be concentrating the pee into areas along sidewalks or pathways instead of being spread out into a wider area where a dog might roam. That is just a guess.

Yes, we’ve had dogs pee on our annual flowers and it killed them.

 

[Shanti]

Just another neighbor complaint thread:

We have new next door nieghbors and they seem to have covered their yard in mothballs. The smell is so awful and overwhelming that I can't enjoy being outdoors. We have had awesome neighbors for the 12 years we have been in this house, but these people have been here 1 week and I want to put a for sale sign up.

I miss our good neighbors.

Any tips on things I could plant to overcome the smell?

That's horrible. It absolutely is a health hazard to plants, animals & people in the area. What idiots.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

We live in a wooded area and used to have a problem with moles tearing up our yard pretty severely. DH put mothballs in the mole holes. Haven’t had a problem since. I never smelled the moth balls when outside, so your neighbors must be putting tons of them in their yard. Not a pleasant smell. I hope you can get it resolved.

There are only 8-10 feet between the houses in our neigborhood. When I took my trash to the side of our house that faces theirs, I could see moth balls roughly every 12-18 inches along the edge of the house. I imagine they must have done that for the entire perimeter of the house.


Updste: In addition to poisoning our neighborhood with pesticides, tonight while out back we discovered they have a very large, barking, howling dog. I haven't actually seen these people yet, but somehow I am picturing Cousin Eddie types .

I already greatly dislike them.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Maybe the mothballs around the perimeter have something to do with the dog.
Are there any general county/state ordinances against any activity or action that infringes upon other's rights and use of their property.
Such as smoke from burning... loud music... etc.
I would contact every public office I could think of and look for ways to end the problem and stop the mothballs.

 

[asta]

Yes, we’ve had dogs pee on our annual flowers and it killed them.

When we first moved into our house the front flower beds along the sidewalk were planted with beautiful mounds of dianthus. Dogs loved to pee on them and killed them every year. Several of my neighbors have them in the same area and they grow easy for them but we had no luck. We kept planting new ones and watched as a couple of homeowners kept letting their dogs pee there. I didn’t try mothballs but tried all sorts of products from the garden center. Nothing would discourage the dogs. After a few years of this we gave up. Our flower beds are just mounds of dirt now. The dirt is not very pretty but at least the dogs can’t hurt anything.

 

[a1tinkfans]

There are only 8-10 feet between the houses in our neigborhood. When I took my trash to the side of our house that faces theirs, I could see moth balls roughly every 12-18 inches along the edge of the house. I imagine they must have done that for the entire perimeter of the house.


Updste: In addition to poisoning our neighborhood with pesticides, tonight while out back we discovered they have a very large, barking, howling dog. I haven't actually seen these people yet, but somehow I am picturing Cousin Eddie types .

I already greatly dislike them.

OH NO... they re probably using them to discourage there Own dog from doing its business near the house?? But they re toxic.
I’d seriously just get over there and welcome them.. then ask them what in the tarnation is the reason for the Toxic mothballs everywhere and perhaps with luck... they ll stop..
Bad neighbors.. life is not easy Ike that.. good luck!
Let us know what happens...

 

[disykat]

After reading more on this thread. I also googled mothballs. Yikes!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I like the way mothballs smell Anyone else?

No?


No. K...



Some neighbors are the WORST.

 

[NFLDERS]

With my lung disease I would so be discouraged like you OP. Hopefully you can do something about it. Keep us updated.