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Generally, squirrels are not considered aggressive toward humans. They are more likely to flee than confront people. However, like many animals, they may exhibit aggressive behavior if they feel threatened or cornered. If you approach a squirrel too closely or try to handle it, especially if it's a mother protecting her young, it may resort to defensive tactics such as biting or scratching.

If you’re having trouble with your traps, first examine them for flaws that would allow a squirrel to escape easily, such as loose doors or hinges. It’s also important to consider the location of your trap: Place it in areas with higher squirrel traffic, and make sure it’s on a sturdy surface so it can’t wobble or tip (squirrels aren’t likely to walk in a trap that isn’t stable). Lastly, try changing out your bait—in-shell peanuts or peanut butter often work best.

Even if you have extreme ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), don’t try to shoot or kill them with a shovel. Besides being pretty cruel, killing snakes in most states is illegal unless your life is at risk and many species are protected. 

Plus, you're putting yourself at greater risk using these techniques if it goes wrong and the now-angry snake is venomous.

To clean a trash can with maggots, combine chlorine bleach and hot water in a 1-to-1 ratio and pour about half a gallon of the solution into the bottom of your garbage can. Just make sure there aren’t holes in the can before doing so. Close the lid, and let the fumes go to work to kill the maggots. Rinse the can with a hose outside. Consider finishing up with a bleach disinfectant and a scrub brush before letting the can dry completely. You can also consider hiring an exterminator near you for a quick, easy solution to maggots in your garbage cans.