Will chemicals in mothballs kill plants when plants are watered?

Question

Birds are tearing apart the cocoa matting in my plant containers and shredding some of the plants. I’d like to try using mothballs to scare the birds away but fear the chemicals in the mothballs will seep into the soil and damage the plants.

Answer 1

Your fears would be correct. There are plenty of alternatives to this dangerous practice. This article will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/mothballs-in-gardens.htm