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Yes, mulch can attract pests. Spiders, centipedes, and ants are some common pests that are attracted to mulch. You can avoid infestation by laying your bags of mulch in the heat for a few hours or by using an inorganic mulch, as it’s less attractive to pests.

It is a myth that smashing a stink bug attracts more stink bugs. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, killing a stink bug will not attract more of them. They are able to secrete a pheromone that attracts other bugs, but they will only release their alarm pheromone when they’re squished—which won’t attract more bugs. 

While some pets, especially dogs, may chase rabbits away due to their natural hunting instincts, relying solely on pets to deter rabbits is not foolproof. Some rabbits can become accustomed to the presence of pets over time, and not all pets possess the same level of hunting inclination. What’s more, rabbits can potentially carry serious diseases like Tularemia and E. cuniculi, which they could pass to your pets.

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.