When it comes to medications, we are quick to admonish people not to let the cure be worse than the condition. The same holds true for home remedies, but even more so. There is no excuse for using risky remedies such as the toxic mothballs this reader hoped would discourage mice from moving into her house.
Q. I have a problem with mice and I’ve been using mothballs to get rid of them. I may have used too much because I have symptoms like headaches, nausea and eye irritation.
How can I detox from mothballs? Something natural would be appreciated.
I’d also like a natural way to combat the mice.
A Problem With Mothballs:
A. Mothballs don’t work against mice, so we suggest you get them out of your house immediately. The pesticide in most mothballs, para-dichlorobenzene, can cause the symptoms you describe of eye irritation, nausea and headaches as well as shortness of breath and dizziness.
Eliminating your exposure is the best way to protect yourself from this possibly carcinogenic chemical. As far as we can tell, there are no herbs that will reverse the symptoms.
Natural Approaches to Mouse Control:
As for natural ways to get rid of mice, a cat or two might work. There are also mouse traps, both ones that kill mice and those that trap them alive so they can be released very far away. (Just dumping a mouse in the back yard probably won’t be effective.)
Some readers report that peppermint oil applied to cotton balls stuffed into places where mice like to roam can discourage them, but we have seen no evidence that peppermint oil is more effective than mothballs. It is significantly less toxic, however, so it might be worth a try.
