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Using chemicals with harsh odors is a natural way to repel bears. While the animal’s strong sense of smell is an asset in the animal kingdom, it’s a weakness here. Simply place bleach or ammonia in a bucket and leave it outside day or night. Ironically, bears also dislike the smell of pine, so you can use pine oil or a pine-based cleaning agent. Avoid using cleaning products with fruit or citrus smells, however.

Most types of lizards are active during warm summer daylight, especially when temperatures rise above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Some lizards take cover under rocks or burrows on sweltering days to escape the heat, reemerging in the cooler afternoon. It is important to note that lizards are cold-blooded creatures that depend on their environment to regulate their body temperature.

Skunks spray as a defense mechanism to ward off predators. The active ingredient in their sulfurous, oily musk is n-butyl mercaptan, which evaporates into a powerful and smelly gas. Once the spray hits the skunk’s target, the stench can linger for days, and water and common cleaning kits aren’t enough to wash it away.

If you happen upon a skunk in your yard, try to back away slowly to reduce the chance of them aiming at you. Encouragingly, they don’t use their weapon casually, as it can take up to 10 days for their life-saving weaponry to refill. Paw stamping, hissing, lifting their tail, and arching their back are early signs they feel trapped or under threat and that it’s time to make a careful retreat.

According to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, no frightening devices are proven effective for squirrel control. This is likely because the squirrels quickly become habituated to the noises. However, strobe lights show some promise, so motion-activated lighting could be an option worth considering as part of your integrated pest management strategy.