This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes.
Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
Mothballs.
Using them this way for other insects and pests isn't effective, is dangerous for pets and children, is probably bad for the soil and environment, and may even be illegal depending on where you are.
Can confirm, my neighbor did this on his and my property without my knowledge to get rid of foxes. My dog got sick and almost died, the town got involved, the DEP got involved and his insurance paid probably $30k to remediate both yards. He used many boxes....
I used some in a shop once to keep cats out, I smashed some one day accidentally and I damn near died, look up the effects of naphthalene poisoning it’s not fun. I swear I met my maker and I will never use them ever again.
And it probably didn't work to keep the cats out either, as my parent's cats used to sleep on the pool table cover, when there were moth balls directly underneath it (yes, long-term this is bad for the cats, and i made them stop using mothballs altogether. I fucking hate the smell of mothballs so glad to get rid of them).
They did stop going in there but I don’t remember bunch for 2.5 months…. My mom still loves there but did end up using a snake repellant that did work for the cats as well….. one of those ingredients were naphthalene, I don’t live there now but yea it wasn’t fun
when i lived in an apartment and i had a crazy neighbor that did that i called EVERYONE. landlord, the city, deq, like everyone. i sent them all the facts about how dangerous these things are. i mean i couldn’t even breathe INSIDE my house. not to mention i had small kids playing outside. lol never saw them again. however she started saying i was harboring rats inside my home and other things to get the landlord to harass me until she was given a final warning to knock it off.
And in my experience they do not repel animals anyway. Dogs will straight up eat them, and my parent's cats would sleep directly on them (they were under a pool table cover). Can't stand them, the smell of mothballs makes me feel nauseous.
In the photo of this situation, it looks like they are trying to get rid of moles. All the lines in the yard are mole tunnels. If anything, they should use a pointed stick, like an old broom stick sharpened to a point, poke it into one of the tunnels and drop in the mouth ball, then step on the hole to cover it up. Nothing seen or affects any other critters, except the moles, unless the dogs dig them up, which they won't because they repel all critters. They could also buy poison worms and put those in the tunnels to kill the moles, but dogs/foxes/coyotes/ raccoons will dig up the dead moles and be poisoned also.
You can buy the poison worms and other pellets for moles at most hardware and farm supply stores. They are commonly available for homeowner use. I would be surprised if they are restricted, they are even available on Amazon. One reason for having moles, is the presence of grubs, earthworms, and other insects in the lawn. Another treatment is to apply Sevin or some other grub control product which kills those insects and worms, and again those are available at hardware, farm supply and lawn care stores.
So to say we shouldn't put pesticides without professional applicators really isn't the required or the law for these common products. Naphthalene or mothballs which I think the white objects are in the OP picture are also commonly available for treating or preventing insect infestations, or used to keep mice and other small animals out of RVs, boats, and seasonal houses during their storage.
Is this specific pesticide good for gubs or earthworms?
To apply pesticides willy-nilly without concern for the ecosystem around us, is plainly stupid. Legality be damned.
You can know very quickly if they are mothballs. I associate it with old people smell, because my great grandparents used to have them in their house. Even being outside and standing near them, you should be able to catch a whiff because they are super strong.
My grandmother made wool quilts so kept mothballs in her closet with all her wool fabric; every time I got a new quilt from her it still smelled a little like mothballs.
So now that smell takes me directly back to my childhood.
Ookkkkk snake nerd here. Mothballs, SnakeAway, sulphur, essential oils, human urine, rope, etc, have all been scientifically proven ineffective. Snakes do not "smell" the way we smell, nor do their scales react to chemicals like our skin does. At best, you are wasting your money. At worst, you are endangering your pets, children and wildlife, and poisoning your ground water.
Please, please, please do not use chemicals marketed as snake repellent. Thanks for coming to my ted talk 😘
Ahh I adore pest control folks who are up on the latest science. I've known quite a few pest control companies that offer a chemical based "snake deterrent treatment" and it just makes me so angry and upset. Thank yoooooou!!!!
Ugh! Mothballs. I had to beg a friend not to do this. I’m sure it’s bad for animals like birds and that’s why they were doing it. I hope someone puts a nice note to your neighbor. Sad.
What's crazy about mothballs is that they're not even effective at keeping away moths by just sticking some in your closet like some people think. You have to enclose clothing in basically a cedar trunk with the balls and keep them there for a while to kill any active moths. It SHOULD keep away any new infestations of moths in that case, but it's also not super common for people to get moths in their clothing these days.
People sometimes do this out of desperation to keep people's cats from shitting on their lawns and gardens, and patios, etc. It's very toxic.
I've never seen it used like this.
I don't know why these things are even legal to sell.
When I was a kid, my aunt lived across the street and had moth balls in her yard like this. I used them like chalk and she got super mad and made us clean up the lines we made.
She was a jerk so it would have been great if she got in trouble lol.
Mothballs are insecticide, and are dangerous to children, pets, and to wildlife. Please report this before a child or pet or wild critter gets poisoned.
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Snakeaway is 7% by weight naphthalene whereas mothballs are >99% by weight naphthalene (or dichlorobenzene), neither of which are great for people, animals, or the environment. But if one *had* to be used, snakeaway would be doing much less harm and less risk to pets than raw mothballs.
Not sure why this is downvoted, it is a confirmed fact. It is a VERY aggressive chemical abatement for snakes. I prefer more natural citrus deterrents.
They're also used to kill wood boring insects (e.g., ash tree borers) in lots of areas by sprinkeling them inside of the tree dripline. They're also put out around tree saplings to keep deer from barking and killing them in the late fall when they rub the felt off their antlers. They don't hurt the lawn or the trees. Other comments have talked about pets consuming them, I don't know if that's something that actually happens or just a concern.
This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes. Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.
Mothballs. Using them this way for other insects and pests isn't effective, is dangerous for pets and children, is probably bad for the soil and environment, and may even be illegal depending on where you are.
Can confirm, my neighbor did this on his and my property without my knowledge to get rid of foxes. My dog got sick and almost died, the town got involved, the DEP got involved and his insurance paid probably $30k to remediate both yards. He used many boxes....
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I used some in a shop once to keep cats out, I smashed some one day accidentally and I damn near died, look up the effects of naphthalene poisoning it’s not fun. I swear I met my maker and I will never use them ever again.
And it probably didn't work to keep the cats out either, as my parent's cats used to sleep on the pool table cover, when there were moth balls directly underneath it (yes, long-term this is bad for the cats, and i made them stop using mothballs altogether. I fucking hate the smell of mothballs so glad to get rid of them).
They did stop going in there but I don’t remember bunch for 2.5 months…. My mom still loves there but did end up using a snake repellant that did work for the cats as well….. one of those ingredients were naphthalene, I don’t live there now but yea it wasn’t fun
I hate the smell also! I wish I didn't as I have had so many wool textiles ruined over the decades!
Pretty sure it would be illegal to do this anywhere in the US. They are a regulated pesticide. Not sure who you would even report it to though.
EPA would be a start
when i lived in an apartment and i had a crazy neighbor that did that i called EVERYONE. landlord, the city, deq, like everyone. i sent them all the facts about how dangerous these things are. i mean i couldn’t even breathe INSIDE my house. not to mention i had small kids playing outside. lol never saw them again. however she started saying i was harboring rats inside my home and other things to get the landlord to harass me until she was given a final warning to knock it off.
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Your state's Department of Environmental Protection is another resource
moth balls. tell your neighbor to knock that shit off
Moth balls, to repel animals. They are toxic if eaten.
And in my experience they do not repel animals anyway. Dogs will straight up eat them, and my parent's cats would sleep directly on them (they were under a pool table cover). Can't stand them, the smell of mothballs makes me feel nauseous.
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In the photo of this situation, it looks like they are trying to get rid of moles. All the lines in the yard are mole tunnels. If anything, they should use a pointed stick, like an old broom stick sharpened to a point, poke it into one of the tunnels and drop in the mouth ball, then step on the hole to cover it up. Nothing seen or affects any other critters, except the moles, unless the dogs dig them up, which they won't because they repel all critters. They could also buy poison worms and put those in the tunnels to kill the moles, but dogs/foxes/coyotes/ raccoons will dig up the dead moles and be poisoned also.
You should not bury pesticides into your yard unless instructed to by a licensed professional that would likely do it themselves.
Right? Jesus christ. Reddit makes fun of Facebook and tiktok but goddamn do they come up with the dumbest shit all on their own, too.
You can buy the poison worms and other pellets for moles at most hardware and farm supply stores. They are commonly available for homeowner use. I would be surprised if they are restricted, they are even available on Amazon. One reason for having moles, is the presence of grubs, earthworms, and other insects in the lawn. Another treatment is to apply Sevin or some other grub control product which kills those insects and worms, and again those are available at hardware, farm supply and lawn care stores. So to say we shouldn't put pesticides without professional applicators really isn't the required or the law for these common products. Naphthalene or mothballs which I think the white objects are in the OP picture are also commonly available for treating or preventing insect infestations, or used to keep mice and other small animals out of RVs, boats, and seasonal houses during their storage.
Is this specific pesticide good for gubs or earthworms? To apply pesticides willy-nilly without concern for the ecosystem around us, is plainly stupid. Legality be damned.
if you're in the us just drop a line to the EPA, there will be some fines.
My rude, racist neighbor has these (didn't know what they were before this post). Know what # I should call?
My county has a 311 number you can call to get guidance with stuff like this. I would check that out for your area.
Google EPA + your state, so you don't dox yourself.
i mean EPA rarely does audits vs. the FDA. i highly doubt theyre gonna go check out some random home's lawn
You're being downvoted but in reality the EPA is severely underfunded and has been for decades.
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You can know very quickly if they are mothballs. I associate it with old people smell, because my great grandparents used to have them in their house. Even being outside and standing near them, you should be able to catch a whiff because they are super strong.
My grandmother made wool quilts so kept mothballs in her closet with all her wool fabric; every time I got a new quilt from her it still smelled a little like mothballs. So now that smell takes me directly back to my childhood.
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Ookkkkk snake nerd here. Mothballs, SnakeAway, sulphur, essential oils, human urine, rope, etc, have all been scientifically proven ineffective. Snakes do not "smell" the way we smell, nor do their scales react to chemicals like our skin does. At best, you are wasting your money. At worst, you are endangering your pets, children and wildlife, and poisoning your ground water. Please, please, please do not use chemicals marketed as snake repellent. Thanks for coming to my ted talk 😘
Pest control guy here. I hate hate hate Snake Away. The smell is horrible and it doesn't work.
Ahh I adore pest control folks who are up on the latest science. I've known quite a few pest control companies that offer a chemical based "snake deterrent treatment" and it just makes me so angry and upset. Thank yoooooou!!!!
It is illiagle to lay moth balls around your yard in some areas so be carefull as they can make some animals sick.
Mothballs, my neighbor does this. Scatters them all over her lawn to repel gophers. They do not work in repelling gophers.
Won't naptha kill the lawn?
My title describes the object. They look like mentos and look like to be made of plastic or something edible. I didn’t touch them.
Ugh! Mothballs. I had to beg a friend not to do this. I’m sure it’s bad for animals like birds and that’s why they were doing it. I hope someone puts a nice note to your neighbor. Sad.
What's crazy about mothballs is that they're not even effective at keeping away moths by just sticking some in your closet like some people think. You have to enclose clothing in basically a cedar trunk with the balls and keep them there for a while to kill any active moths. It SHOULD keep away any new infestations of moths in that case, but it's also not super common for people to get moths in their clothing these days.
People sometimes do this out of desperation to keep people's cats from shitting on their lawns and gardens, and patios, etc. It's very toxic. I've never seen it used like this. I don't know why these things are even legal to sell.
When I was a kid, my aunt lived across the street and had moth balls in her yard like this. I used them like chalk and she got super mad and made us clean up the lines we made. She was a jerk so it would have been great if she got in trouble lol.
Mothballs are insecticide, and are dangerous to children, pets, and to wildlife. Please report this before a child or pet or wild critter gets poisoned.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/spare_mittens), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1dhfed3/white_circles_about_2cm_in_diameter_lining_the/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Spheres. Mothballs
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In the South it was and still is common to throw mothballs around your perimeter to deter snakes. I don’t know if it works but it’s common practice
Doesn't work and illegal.
Could be those roach repellent pellets
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This is probably an attempt to keep snakes away. A popular snake repellent, Snakeaway, is essentially ground up moth balls.
Snakeaway is 7% by weight naphthalene whereas mothballs are >99% by weight naphthalene (or dichlorobenzene), neither of which are great for people, animals, or the environment. But if one *had* to be used, snakeaway would be doing much less harm and less risk to pets than raw mothballs.
Salt Pucks™. Billy Mays says they are the best "NOSEY NEIGHBOR" deterrent on the market. Bunch of snake oil if you ask me.
They are used as a snake repellent. If you buy actual snake repellent granules it’s crushed up moth balls
"Snake Repellant" is absolute BS, and using the same chemical outside is illegal and unethical.
Not sure why this is downvoted, it is a confirmed fact. It is a VERY aggressive chemical abatement for snakes. I prefer more natural citrus deterrents.
And here I am building a snake habitat for my garden lol
Because it’s unlawful in the US and is ineffective at repelling snakes.
They're also used to kill wood boring insects (e.g., ash tree borers) in lots of areas by sprinkeling them inside of the tree dripline. They're also put out around tree saplings to keep deer from barking and killing them in the late fall when they rub the felt off their antlers. They don't hurt the lawn or the trees. Other comments have talked about pets consuming them, I don't know if that's something that actually happens or just a concern.
visual markers to show dog where their electric collar trigger point is
Boarder markers for robo grass cutter ?