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Florida officials say the mothballs were likely there to discourage wildlife. But it didn’t work, with protected birds sitting inches from the toxic chemical balls.
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — An unusual sight, and pungent smell, along St. Pete Beach prompted a response from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Monday.
Hundreds of mothballs were found along the beach, lining the sand surrounding the Lido Residences on Gulf Boulevard, WTSP reported.
According to FWC Officer Specialist Brian Ferguson, the toxic, white balls were placed from the dunes all the way to the water, covering about 50 yards of sand to the north of the condo building and 50 yards to the south.
Officer Ferguson responded to the beach on Monday afternoon after the FWC got a tip from an anonymous caller. He told 10 Tampa Bay News that someone likely placed the mothballs in an effort to deter birds and other wildlife.
“My feelings are that they were put out to try and deter the protected skimmers that were on the beach,” he said. “It didn’t work because the birds were literally sitting, a colony of a couple hundred of them, were sitting within inches of the mothballs, literally surrounding them.”
Mothballs are made of high concentrations of chemical pesticides like naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. They’re not only toxic to humans and wildlife, but they’re also illegal to use outdoors.
“It is considered a poison, and it’s regulated by the state and the feds, and it can be considered both a federal and a state violation if used inappropriately,” Officer Ferguson said. “Since they’re considered a form of poison, they’re highly regulated, and it’s toxic.”
Mothballs are only intended to be used indoors in airtight containers to control fabric pests. Regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, they should never be used to repel rodents, snakes or other wildlife.
“Violators may be subject to administrative action, which includes fines up to $10,000 per violation,” the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services wrote.
Officer Ferguson was joined by volunteers from the Audubon Society and some generous beachgoers to pick up every mothball left in the sand. Now, he hopes investigators are able to track down the person responsible.
“If those skimmers or the seagulls thought that was an egg and wanted to eat the egg, or a grandkid picked it up and thought it was a certain candy, it could have very serious consequences,” he said.
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