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It’s an age-old and terrifying question: Can rats come through the toilet? The answer, unfortunately, is yes; however, it’s extremely rare. In the very unlikely case that this happens, it’s usually the result of rats from the sewer making their way into home plumbing pipes and up into the toilet. 

Identifying the specific animal running on your roof at night can be challenging without direct observation. Common nocturnal roof visitors include raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and rats. Raccoons are bigger and can create heavy thumping sounds. Squirrels are agile and may produce rapid scurrying noises. Opossums tend to move stealthily with less noise. Rats can make scratching or gnawing sounds. To determine the culprit, look for signs like footprints, droppings, or damaged areas near the roof. For accurate identification, consult a pest control professional or set up wildlife cameras near potential entry points.

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.

Ants hate strong odors such as peppermint, citrus, cinnamon, and essential oils such as lavender and eucalyptus. You can sprinkle cinnamon in the area or combine essential oils with water to form a spray that repels ants in the event of an infestation—just make sure nothing you apply will harm your surfaces, kids, or pets.