| How to Attract Bats to Your Yard Posted: 02 Jun 2017 05:00 PM PDT Bats are a beneficial and interesting mammal. They are the single most important controller of night-flying insects, including mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Of course, watching them skillfully fly around your yard can also be great fun. This article will explain bat behavior and teach you how to construct a bat house of your own. EditUnderstanding Bat Behavior - Learn about the bats of your region. There are two broad types of bats, and each have different appearances and characteristic.[1]
- The bats that inhabit the temperate regions of Europe and North America all fall within the family Microchiroptera (roughly, "small bats"). Other than their small size (which is more of a common trait rather than a defining characteristic), they are physically unique from their cousins in that they tend to have short noses or muzzles, smallish eyes, and larger ears.
- Megachiroptera is the suborder that represents most of the larger bat species of the world, but they are generally restricted to the tropical environments that stretch from Australia to South Asia and on to the Mediterranean. The species which make up this group tend to have longer muzzles and, some would say, even a vaguely rat-like or canine appearance. Because of this, several species native to Australia and Southeast Asia are commonly referred to as "flying foxes."
- Understand the feeding habits of bats. If you want to attract bats to your home, the likeliest way is to guarantee a ready supply of food.[2]
- The small bats that occupy much of the temperate regions fly at night and use echolocation to find the flying insects that make up most of their diet. If you do not have insects outside of your home at night, you may not be able to attract bats.
- Larger tropical bats live primarily on a diet of fruit and nectar. They may search widely over the course of a year looking for ripening fruits or flowering plants.
- Determine the type of place where local bats rest. While food is the dominant factor in the ability of bats to thrive in an environment, they do also require shelter. This, too, differs by type.
- Small insect-eating species tend to live in caves or in the hollow of a tree. Many species crowd very closely together, which can help them retain heat. Because they like to stay in enclosed spaces, many of them can be enticed to live in specially constructed bat houses.
- The flying foxes and other larger fruit bats usually roost in very dense concentrations in a relatively small section of forest. Because of the sounds, smells, and overall destruction that can come from hosting a horde of several thousand of the bats, in most areas their roosts are considered a nuisance to be removed.[3]
- Think about how you can use bat behavior to your advantage. If your goal is in fact to attract bats to your yard, you should consider how the needs of the animals fit with the environment you have created. Ask yourself these questions:
- Are there places for the bats to stay or rest? If not, you will not have bats that live on your property.
- Are there potential food sources? The most common bats to visit backyards are usually insect eaters. If there are no insects due to the use of pesticides, you will not likely have bats.
- Are there their irritants that may discourage bats from coming to your yard? For example, many of the insect-eating bats use a combination of echolocation and passive listening to determine the location of the insects they prey upon. If you are in a loud neighborhood, those species would not be effective hunters and would stay away.[4]
EditPreparing to Build a Bat House - Find an appropriate location. A bat house does not need to be large, but when considering a potential location there are a few points you should keep in mind.
- The house should be placed at a point roughly 15 feet off of the ground and inaccessible to climbing predators.
- The house should be placed in a location that receives sunlight for most of the day.
- Understand how a bat house should look. In nearly all ways that it can, a bat house will differ from the bird houses with which most people are so familiar. Here is a list of the basic characteristics:
 - Unlike birdhouses, the opening for entrance and exit will not be at the front. Instead, there should be a long open strip along the bottom. The entrance and the back wall of the bat house should be covered in a kind of mesh that the bats can climb with their their claws.
- It should not be cube shaped (as is common for many bird houses) but instead be a very wide, fairly tall, flat box. Keep in mind that you are not making this house for a single bat or even a pair of bats. Many bats rarely settle down for the day in groups of less than a dozen. According to those who have customized bat houses based upon studies of behavior, the smallest bat house should have exterior dimensions of roughly 13 1/2 inches wide, 3 3/4 inches deep, and 20 inches tall (with an additional 4 or 5 inches of the back wall extending below the floor to the entrance, providing something for the bats to latch on to).
- There should be several narrow open strips along the lower portions of the sides to to vent air from the box. Because they often rest in densely packed groups, the heat they generate and CO2 they release can make a bat house unlivable very quickly.
- Identify and obtain needed materials. These are the primary tools you will need:
- A pole (optional) on which you will mount the house when completed.
- Lumber, including 3/4 inch plywood and that has been treated to make it water resistant.
- Mesh.
- Screws (several sizes).
- Screwdriver.
- Saw.
- Staple gun.
EditBuilding a Bat House - Cut the lumber. The largest piece should be used as a back wall for the bat house. It is a good idea to cut out notches in the front and sides to serve as ventilation slits before you finish assembling the bat house.
- All ventilation slits should be made no larger than 1/4 of an inch. If the slits are slightly greater than that, they could allow too much cold air in. If the slits are 1/2 an inch in size or more, it would allow small birds to take over the house as a nesting area for themselves and exclude bats altogether.
- The roof should be long enough to extend from a position above the back wall to a place several inches beyond the front wall. It can be installed to meed the back and front walls at a 90 degree angle, but if you want to roof to be at a 30 degree angle it will have to longer. You may also want to cut the roof, front wall, and back wall to an angled edge on one side so they will fit together smoothly.
- Attach the mesh to the largest of the planks. The largest plank will serve as the back of the bat house. Staple the mesh in place.
- You may need to cut the mesh to fit the plank. It should be cut smaller than the width of the plank, as it should not be between the joints that connect the back to the sides and roof. However, the mesh should extend to the bottom of the plank.
- Screw the floor onto the front wall. The floor should be attached to the front side only. The floor should be narrow enough that it will not touch the back wall when the house is fully assembled. The gap should be 3/4 of an inch in order to allow the bats to enter through the bottom.
- Screw the front to the sides and back. Drill pilot holes using a small drill bit before you attempt to screw the pieces in place. Use a minimum of two screws per side.
- Attach the roof. Again, drill pilot holes before attaching the roof. Screw the roof in place into the back and front walls. Use a minimum of two screws per side.
- Paint or stain the bat house. Painting or staining the bat house will provide an additional seal and ensure that the wood will last longer.
- Attach the bat house to the intended site. While you could screw directly from the bat house into the target site, it may be best to attach some kind of mounting bracket that will hold the house in place but allow you to easily move it if you so choose. If you have decided to mount it on a new pole, do so before you anchor the pole into the ground.
- Bats migrate in the fall and hibernate throughout the winter. If they are disturbed during hibernation, their metabolism increases. This depletes their fat reserves and puts them at risk.
- It's fine to watch bats, but they should not be handled or chased. Bats are typically wary of humans and will not attack you. However, if you handle them directly, they may bite.
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| How to Make Doughnuts Posted: 02 Jun 2017 09:00 AM PDT Doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes. They are the perfect way to treat yourself on a lazy weekend, or to indulge in a baking adventure. Store-bought doughnuts are great, but homemade ones are even better. Here are three distinctive doughnut recipes to whet your appetite. Enjoy! - Prep time (Fried Glazed): 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
EditIngredients EditIngredients for Fried Glazed Donuts - 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water (105-115°F or 40-45℃)
- 1½ cups lukewarm milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 quart (1 liter) vegetable oil for frying
For glaze:
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 4 tablespoons hot water or as needed
EditIngredients for Baked Glazed Donuts - 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon shortening (or 2 tablespoons melted butter)
For glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
EditIngredients for Canadian Fried Dough - ½ cup warm water (110° F or 45° C)
- 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 pinch white sugar
- 1 cup warm milk (110° F or 45° C)
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 beaten eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups whole-wheat flour, divided
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
For dusting:
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
EditFried Glazed Doughnuts - Mix the yeast and the warm water together in a small ramekin. The yeast needs warm water to activate; it will help the doughnut dough rise and stay fluffy. Let activate for 5 minutes.
- Mix yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour in a mixer on a low speed. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and mix by hand, but be sure to mix the dry ingredients first, then the wet ingredients separately, and then combine the two.
- Beat in remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, at a low speed. Do this until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
- Knead the dough with your hands and knuckles for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth but elastic.
- Set the dough into a greased bowl to rise. Cover with a towel and let stand until dough doubles in volume (about 1 hour). Dough will be ready when you can press a finger into it and the indentation stays.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out until it's about thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter, or cut into doughnut shapes by hand.
- Let the doughnuts rise again until double their size (about 30-60 minutes). Lay them out on a tray and cover them with a large, clean towel.
- Prepare the glaze while doughnuts are rising. This is a classic butter glaze, not unlike the Krispy Kreme glaze that is popular in America. To make the glaze:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Take the butter off the iron and stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is thin, but not watery.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or skillet until oil reaches a temperature of 350℉ (175℃). Use a kitchen thermometer for maximum precision.
- To avoid a greasy taste, heat the oil up on medium high for five minutes, and then gently reduce the heat until thermometer reads 350℉ (175℃).
- Slide the donuts into the oil carefully, with metal tongs or a spatula. Turn the doughnuts over when they float up to the surface. Fry evenly on both sides until golden brown.
- Remove doughnuts from oil and let drain on a wire rack. Make sure any excess oil drips off the doughnut before you glaze it.
- While doughnuts are still warm, dip doughnuts into the glaze, coating evenly. Set to dry on a wire rack and enjoy immediately.
EditBaked Glazed Donuts - Preheat your oven to 325℉ (165℃). Lightly grease a doughnut pan.
- Into a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir milk, eggs, vanilla, and shortening together before incorporating into dry mix. Beat the batter together until well blended.
- Fill the doughnut pan so each cup is ¾ full. The doughnuts will rise as they bake in the oven.
- Bake the doughnuts for 8-10 minutes, until they are springy when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
- Make and apply the glaze. In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, hot water, and almond extract until smooth and creamy. Dip the still-warm doughnuts into glaze and let excess drip off.
EditCanadian Fried Dough - In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water, and pinch of sugar until foam begins to show (about 5 minutes).
- Into the yeast mixture, stir in milk, ⅓ cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and ⅓ cup vegetable oil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Mix in about 2½ cups of the whole-wheat flour. Stir until the dough is too stiff to add more flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and begin to knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
- Form the dough into one big ball, place into a greased bowl, and cover. Let rest until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Place the dough back on a well-floured surface and knead again to reshape it. Break off a piece of dough roughly the size of a heaping tablespoon.
- Shape the heaping tablespoon of dough into a thin strip or an oval shape. You can use a rolling pin or your hands. The dough should be thick. In Canada, fried dough is often called "Beaver Trails," so let your imagination run wild!
- Place rolled bits of dough under a cloth to rise while you shape the remainder of the dough.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 375℉ (190℃). Oil should be at least deep in your fryer or skillet.
- While oil is heating, combine 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon and set aside for dusting.
- Gently introduce pastries into the frying oil, one at a time, cooking for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove onto a wire rack.
- Remove excess oil from fried pastries with paper towels. Dip each pastry into the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm.
- Enjoy.
- Remember to flour the surface well, once the dough gets a grip on your worktop, it will not let go.
- If you don't have any vanilla for the glaze, use lemon extract or lemon juice.
- Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot oil.
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| How to Compare Unsubsidized vs. Subsidized Student Loans Posted: 02 Jun 2017 01:00 AM PDT When a student in the U.S. applies for college financial aid, the student and his or her parents should know how to compare subsidized and unsubsidized student loans in order to make an informed decision on what sort of financial aid to select. The biggest difference between the two is how much you are allowed to borrow each year, but there are other factors, too, that can play into your loan choice. EditComparing Loan Offers - Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine how much financial aid you qualify for. Most students log onto the website http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to fill out the forms, but you may be able to acquire hard copies from your school guidance staff or a college you are applying to.[1]
- The FAFSA form will ask for tax information, but don't wait until you file your tax returns to submit the form. Estimates can be provided until you have the actual numbers. Try to send in the form the January before you start college.
- Find out your "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC). This is the amount of money that the government expects you and your family to contribute toward the costs of your education each year. The remainder of the amount due will be covered by college scholarships and loans. Most families cannot afford the entire amount of the EFC to pay for college and will supplement with unsubsidized loans.
- Determine your total costs for college. This includes not only tuition and fees but also room and board (unless you will live with parents, relatives, or friends for free), textbooks, supplies, laboratory fees and transportation costs.
EditAnalyzing and Choosing a Loan - Compare your student-loan offers by repayment schedule. As a student you may not have the time or energy to hold a job while you are in college in order to start paying back loans, so knowing which loan lets you defer all payments while you are in school can be helpful.
- With a subsidized student loan, interest is not charged until you graduate. Interest is considered deferred and is subsidized by the federal government. You start paying the principal amount and the interest after you graduate. With an unsubsidized student loan the interest is charged from the time that the funds are first disbursed to you.
- Both types of loan will allow you to defer your principal and interest payments until after you graduate. However, an unsubsidized loan will accrue interest beginning from disbursement of funds.
- Compare your loan options by how much you can borrow. The amount that you need to borrow may influence which loan you choose. The cost differences at various colleges may weigh into your decision.
- Subsidized loans carry a specific cap on how much you can borrow. Unsubsidized loans also have a cap, but it is typically about $4,000 more per year than with subsidized loans. [2]
- Review the differences in loan requirements between unsubsidized and subsidized student loans. Your personal financial circumstances may not permit you to qualify for a subsidized loan.
- Subsidized loans are offered according to financial status and specific need. Each college determines how much money their students qualify for in unsubsidized or subsidized loans. Many students use subsidized-loan money first and then piggyback it with an unsubsidized loan.
- Compare loan similarities and differences. Unsubsidized and subsidized student loans both give you ten years to pay them back. Depending on your circumstances, there are other programs that allow you to make payments for 20 or 25 years. They both feature fixed interest rates.[3]
- Unsubsidized loans start charging interest from the moment the money is given to you. However, sometimes the lender will give you the option of making "interest-only" payments while you are still in school. You might also make arrangements to postpone paying the interest and the principal until you leave school and the repayment period starts. [4]
EditFinding Other Options - Research other loan options. If your unsubsidized and subsidized loan offers do not meet your financial needs, you do have other possibilities. These include private student loans from a bank or credit union, state aid programs, a home-equity loan attached to your parents' home, or a Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loan where financial institutions lend subsidized money to parents to cover the education expenses of a dependent child.[5]
- Graduate students are eligible only for unsubsidized federal and Graduate PLUS loans. If you want to go to graduate or medical school, a subsidized loan will not be an option for you.[6]
- Apply for a federal Perkins loan. This loan is made available through schools and is funded by the federal government for low-income students. Interest is not charged while you are enrolled in a post-secondary school at least half-time. You do not have to start paying it back until nine months after you graduate or when your enrollment is less than half-time. [7]
- Contact the financial aid office of your college. Ask that their financial-aid offer be increased by explaining, for example, that your financial situation has changed, such as the loss of a parent's job. Also inform them of any higher financial-aid offers from other colleges, and ask if they will match it.
- If you have an unsubsidized loan, you can make interest payments while you are in school if you choose to. This will cut down on the total interest you'll pay, but just know that any accrued interest will be added to your principal payment. This will raise your interest rate when you leave school, since the rate is based on the balance of principal.
- You also must be a U.S. citizen or eligible resident non-citizen.
- On a subsidized loan program you have to be in school at least half-time to meet the requirement for deferred interest.
- It can be difficult to discharge federal student loans even in bankruptcy. Borrow only what you need.
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