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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.

If a coyote approaches you, never run away, even if it goes against your natural instinct. Make yourself look big, shout loudly, and throw something in the coyote's direction. Be persistent and continue these scare tactics until they move away. Then, you should move away slowly, always facing the coyote.

Like many pests, fleas hide in dark, sheltered areas, including in the bed. They will seek out crevices in a mattress, so they have easy access to their hosts (you and your pets) as well as somewhere that is warm and hidden. You may also find fleas hiding in carpeting and other furniture.

Ticks love conditions where humidity is 90% or higher, so most ticks will die within a few hours to a few days in the average climate-controlled house.