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While many pests like rats, mice, ants, cockroaches, silverfish, and bed bugs can damage your home, termites are among the most destructive. By sheer dollar amount, the damage from a bad termite infestation is unparalleled, as they can ruin walls, floors, roofs, and wooden support materials, potentially requiring massive reconstruction. Other highly destructive pests include rodents, carpenter ants, and bees that build hives within walls. If you spot signs of termites or other pests, you should hire an exterminator immediately.

There are plenty of scents spiders hate, but there are some scents scientists believe can work in the opposite way and attract them into your home. Some studies suggest that spiders may be attracted to stinky items like smelly socks. One thought is spiders are attracted to smells that attract more insects, such as mosquitos, which they feed on.

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.

There are several ways to dry out flea eggs. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural ingredient that can dry out fleas, but it’s messy to apply and can also cause respiratory issues for members of your household if inhaled. Salt is safer and easier to apply, so shake it liberally over affected areas. Boric acid is another way to get rid of fleas and other insects, but this, too, can cause respiratory issues and health problems if inhaled or ingested.