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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.

For a minor infestation, you can expect to clear up a German cockroach problem in about two weeks. That’s usually enough time to confirm that they don’t have additional hiding spots and aren’t continuing to encroach from an outside source. If you have a major infestation and use the services of a pest control company, it can take several weeks and multiple visits to fully clear your home, up to a couple of months.

If you find bed bugs on your mattress, your first step is to put your sheets, pillowcases, pillows, and nearby linens into a trash bag and wash them in hot water. Then, vacuum your mattress and the rest of your bedroom, paying special attention to the mattress seams and crevices near your headboard. Next, use one (or more) of the solutions listed above to kill any live bugs, or call an exterminator for a professional treatment.

In some cases, a clean house can have roaches, especially if you have excess moisture somewhere. You may want to check for leaky pipes or look underneath sinks to make sure water isn’t dripping near a hidden area that is inviting the cockroaches in. Roaches can also take up residence in clean homes with not-protected food sources, like open bags of food in a kitchen cupboard.