Ruinous to most neighborhoods, unless there's good natural grazing, like an abandoned quarry. Though they are quite adorable if you catch them in an unguarded moment as they romp about in new ruins.

(a) Everything about your natural history of jackhammers is great. Thank you.

(b) Alas, they seem to be nesting long-term. I was woken this morning by the distinct juddering call of a hunting jackhammer. They have continued to forage and communicate throughout the day, which is why I'm staring at this screen like someone halfway replaced my head.

Explosions aren't a lot of fun either, but are thankfully, largely outside my personal experience.

I woke up once from a dream of fireworks to exploding paint cans in the shed across the street, which had caught fire and was burning both loudly and thickly (there was very heavy smoke) and periodically firing off these hollow incendiary bangs. We were in no danger and the fire department came exactly as they're supposed to, but I can't really recommend it. I woke up once in New Haven thinking I was in the middle of an earthquake, but it was construction with serious earth-moving beginning in my building's backyard.