Should New Yorkers Stop Doing This to Their Halloween Pumpkins?

Nothing says Halloween more than pumpkins. Sure, there are the costumes, the candy, the ghosts, and goblins, but I see more pumpkins outside of homes than anything else 'Halloween.'

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Depending on how early you carved that pumpkin and set it on your front porch, it can rot quickly. But there is a fix for that. According to the Clorox website, people have been using Clorox Disinfecting Bleach to help keep flowers looking good, and longer.

The same can be used to keep your carved pumpkin from rotting. No one wants a Halloween pumpkin that has shrunk and contains mold and mildew before Halloween even gets here.

Now, as good as it sounds to bleach your Halloween pumpkin to keep it fresh and looking good longer, is it really a good idea? If that pumpkin isn't properly disposed of, wildlife may find it to be a tasty treat. Bleach is poison to animals like deer, birds, and squirrels, all of which would find a discarded pumpkin inviting to eat.

Now, here's where this subject gets fuzzy on the beach or no-bleach topic. An article on the WUSA 9 website asked the question - 'Does bleach preserve a pumpkin, and is it dangerous for critters?'

After consulting with several sources, as mentioned in the article, the conclusion was that there is minimal risk to wildlife. One of the sources, John Porter who is a University of Nebraska Urban Agriculture educator, notes that several items you purchase at stores and Farmers Markets, including pumpkins may have already been washed before going on sale.

Porter says in the WUSA 9 article if you plan on attempting to keep your pumpkin lasting longer, that the key is to use the bleach correctly, and he outlines that process in the video. Check it out below. Your thoughts?