What is Mothball?
'''Mothballs''' are small balls of chemical [[pesticide]] and [[deodorant]].They are used when clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from [[mold]] or [[moth]] larvae are stored. Older mothballs were made primarily of [[naphthalene]]. Because naphthalene can catch fire easily, modern mothballs use [[1,4-dichlorobenzene]] instead. Both of these ingredients have a strong, pungent smell often associated strongly with mothballs. [[Camphor]], an insect repellent, can also be used in mothballs. Their use when clothing is stored out-of-season led to the colloquial usage of the terms '''mothballed''' and '''put into mothballs''' to refer to anything which is put into storage or whose operation is suspended. Some claim that the use of the word in this sense derives from [[reserve fleet|naval usage]]. When warships were laid up, the open ends of their gun barrels and other openings were covered in white material to prevent the entry of water. These white circles suggested mothballs. {{stub}} [[Category:Insecticides]]