As the weather starts to warm up, it's a good time to remind ourselves about one of the country's most popular - and dangerous - pranks.
They've been called Works bombs, mailbox bombs, bottle bombs, and Drano bombs, but whatever you call them, they spell danger if you get too close.
Building these nasty science projects has been a popular teenage pastime for decades, but now that there are tutorials on YouTube, they've become even more common.
The basic idea is that a plastic bottle is stuffed with aluminium foil and the cleaning product Drano, or similar household products.
The combination releases gas and heat, which eventually explodes out of the bottle.
For many children, the creation is just harmless fun. But pranksters have taken to hiding the bombs on their neighbor's property, or even throwing them at unsuspecting people.
The Eagle Tribune reported on these bombs being stuffed in mailboxes in Methuen, Massachusetts, and a 12-year-old girl from New York City was burned when she found a bottle bomb in a playground.
Even small bombs in plastic bottles can shower victims in corrosive chemicals and shrapnel if they get too close.
Police are warning the public about how to spot one of these deadly "pranks" before they get too close.
While the explosion in a typical Drano bomb is very weak, picking on up could burn or sever your fingers.
Authorities also say that if one explodes near your eyes, you could be permanently blinded.
Thankfully, these bombs are usually very easy to spot:
- The bottle should contain a ball of aluminium foil.
- There will usually be a frothy, bubbling liquid inside the bomb.
- The bottle may be missing its wrapper, but the cap must be fixed on to build pressure. It may even be secured with tape.
- The bottle may look like it is swelling or inflating just before it explodes.
Even if a bomb has been sitting for hours, it could still explode suddenly, and authorities say the smart move is to keep your distance.
"I would urge [civilians] to leave [a Drano bomb] alone and call the authorities," police Sergeant David Wyant of Bartow, Florida warned. "It can burn you. If it's swelling, back away."
Wyant also assured the public that injuries caused by these bombs are still rare, but they are often placed in large numbers over a short period of time.
Let's share this warning so everyone will stay safe!
[H/T: Eagle Tribune, NBC News, ABC 7]