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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.

Poison will kill small rodents and can seem like the quick and easy way to get rid of them. But—in addition to its inhumane nature—poison has some drawbacks. First of all, if you have small children or pets in the home, setting out poison isn't the best idea, as your pets or children could ingest it. 

Poisoned mice and rodents don't die instantly. Instead, it can take several days for the poison to work its way through their system. In the meantime, there's a chance that a predator, such as a cat, fox, or other mammal, will eat the poisoned rodent and become poisoned themselves.

Typically, fleas won’t take up residence in human hair. Their natural preference is to live on the fur of animals, but they can bite and infest humans on a temporary basis. If there is a significant flea infestation in the surrounding environment, humans may inadvertently become a host. Again, though, this is a rare occurrence.

You should never use toxic baits or poisons, such as rodenticides designed for mice and rats, to kill or trap possums. Using these toxicants is illegal in many areas and can lead to fines or other penalties. Furthermore, these poisons can cause unnecessary suffering for the animal and pose a significant risk of accidental poisoning to pets or other neighborhood wildlife. Instead of using poisons, it is best to stick with humane methods like live trapping.