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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.

Fruit flies aren’t harmful by themselves, and they can’t bite or sting you. They can, however, spread bacteria around your home and can be a nuisance to live with. That’s why it’s important to eliminate fruit fly infestations quickly and enact preventative measures to keep them out of your house.

In addition to a dislike of strong smells, such as peppermint, citrus, cinnamon, lavender, and eucalyptus, there are some who believe spiders dislike music or other loud sounds. You can try cranking up your music, and the spiders supposedly don’t care for the vibration, which can help keep them out of your home. Continuous vibrations can throw off their senses and make them look for a food source elsewhere.

Finding one termite could be a sign of an infestation. This termite could be a worker looking for food or a swarmer responsible for reproduction. Any time you see a termite crawling or flying around your home, or if you see their discarded wings around doors and windows, it’s time to call in a pro for an inspection.