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Yes, rats will go near a sleeping human, especially if there is food or crumbs nearby. What’s worse, they may even bite humans while they are asleep. Common places for bites are exposed fingers, toes, hands, and faces. To minimize the risk of rats approaching you and your family members while they’re asleep, do not eat or leave accessible food packages in the bedroom.

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.

Bleach, which can kill drain flies, can also kill fruit flies, but it’s better to lure fruit flies to a liquid rather than applying chemicals, as it’s very difficult to reach them all. A more practical approach is to lure fruit flies with traps made from liquids like apple cider vinegar mixed with dish soap. This method is safer and more efficient, since it targets a larger number of fruit flies without relying on harsh chemicals that may not reach all the pests.

When a wasp stings, it pushes its stinger into the skin and releases venom. The sting site will typically become inflamed and swollen and likely hurt quite a bit. 

Some people are allergic to the venom and can have serious allergic reactions to a wasp sting. This sting could cause the throat to swell, difficulty breathing, hives, rapid heart rate, and vomiting. If you or someone has an allergic reaction to a wasp sting, it’s important to call 911 for emergency treatment, as reactions can be life-threatening.