Proper Storage in an Attic

• The attic creates an ideal storage place in many homes. Used correctly, moth balls can prevent clothes moths, their eggs and larvae from damaging natural fibers as wool and paper stored within receptacles. Moth balls will also keep the pests away from clothes or books stored in containers in an attic or any other location of the home. A registered pesticide, the label clearly states to seal moth balls into an air tight container when using in an attic or other location. Airtight containers will trap and control the moth balls noxious fumes. Keep the containers out of the reach of children.
  
  

Attic Precautions

• Check the attic and crawl spaces of any newly purchased home to determine if moth balls have been improperly used. Breathing the vapors of moth balls can harm humans, pets and wildlife. Safely dispose of any moth balls found that have not been correctly stored in containers in the attic. Even after disposal, the fumes of the moth balls may remain in the attic for an extended time period. Some people experience a severe respiratory response to the fumes and may have to leave the residence.
  
  

Attic Air Dispersal

• When not properly sealed in an air tight container, the chemicals within the moth balls begin to vaporize at room temperatures. Placing moth balls into an attic in an attempt to repel squirrels or other rodents allows the vapors to disperse throughout the attic and into the home's ventilation system. The fumes can move throughout the entire structure by using the attic's duct work. Available as balls, flakes or discs, they contain either naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene as the active ingredient.
  
  

Dangers

• Children or pets can accidentally come into contact with moth balls spread randomly throughout the attic while playing or exploring. A child can also open a stored attic container that holds moth balls. A child or pet may mistake the substance for candy, a ball or a toy.The moth balls can cause a localized skin reaction if handled. Inhaling the moth ball's fumes often causes burning eyes or respiratory distress; ingesting one moth ball can cause death, according to the Connecticut Poison Control Center at the UConn Health Center. A child or pet that accidentally ingests a ball while playing in an attic may not exhibit poisoning symptoms for up to five days after ingestion. Never allow a child or pet to play in an attic or other location where moth balls may exist.