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Rabbits face a range of formidable adversaries in rural and suburban areas. Natural predators such as hawks, foxes, bobcats, raccoons, coyotes, and weasels pose significant threats to their survival. These skilled hunters target bunnies for food, contributing to regulating rabbit populations. Outdoor housepets can be enemies, too, particularly dogs and cats. And loud little humans playing in your yard make great rabbit deterrents, too.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center, there aren’t any insect repellents registered for use against bed bugs that can be put on your skin. Some people may utilize diluted essential oils on their skin to try to repel bed bugs, but this is not considered effective for remedying the problem. The best way to repel bed bugs is to treat them with a non-toxic method to rid them from your home.

There is very limited scientific evidence to support the efficacy of essential oils against bed bugs and they are very unlikely to kill the species. However, a 2021 study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found that compounds in essential oils like clove oil, lemongrass, citronella, and bergamot could repel the insects.

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.