Louisiana Residents Are Asked Not to Bleach Pumpkins: Here’s Why

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Most pet owners are aware of the fact that there are a lot of precautions that need to be taken to keep your little furry friends safe.  During Christmas, most of us know that poinsettias are toxic to pets.  Dog owners should know not to feed raisins, grapes, or chocolate to your canine companion, as all of these are harmful to dogs.

But there's another possible danger to animals that you might not have even thought about.  I know I hadn't.  If you like to carve and decorate pumpkins for your Halloween or fall decorations, you need to read on.

I still remember scooping out our pumpkins at Halloween and carving them with the kids every year.  But if you prepare your pumpkin by bleaching it to make it last longer, you're now being asked to rethink that process.

According to a recent Facebook post by the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, if you use bleach to prepare your pumpkin, you could possibly be poisoning any animal that might want to snack on your festive decoration.

Now, regardless of whether or not I think there are plenty of squirrels in my neighborhood and don't want any more of the little tree rats... I don't want to inadvertantly poison any.  And I certainly don't want to cause the demise of any possums that might want to enjoy a midnight snack. If you don't know, possums are actually very beneficial to have around.  Let me digress for just a moment.  According to the MSPCA.org:

The many beneficial qualities of opossums include:

• Keeping neighborhoods clear of unwanted pests like cockroaches, rats, and mice.
• Reducing the Lyme disease carrying tick population, eating nearly 95% that cross their path.
• Resistance to snake venom, and eat venomous species.
• An extremely low risk of contracting rabies!
• Keeping gardens blooming by eating snails, slugs, and fallen, overripe fruit.

The post suggests using vinegar as opposed to bleach, as vinegar won't poison any wildlife or pets that might want to gnaw on the pumpkins.