Washing your hands on a regular basis is a good habit to stay healthy year-round. But did you know the key to proper hand-washing isn't what type of soaps you use or how much you use, but the way you wash your hands? Instead of chemical-laden, antibacterial hand soaps packaged in plastic bottles, regular bar soap can be just as effective to get hands clean. The trick is to use warm to hot water (not scalding) and to scrub well and thoroughly. This will eradicate bacteria and viruses off your hands without the use of chemicals. Dry your hands on a clean towel dedicated to drying hands only.

Many people install bat houses near their homes because the flying mammals help control insect populations. But for some people, having a colony of bats at home can be too bothersome, noisy and messy. If you want to relocate bats, contact your local animal control office and make sure it isn't illegal to move them. If it isn't, find out who they recommend as a professional wildlife control service to come do the job. Summer and fall are the best times to relocate bats because come wintertime, the bats will be hibernating and will die from the cold if relocated.

Did you know that birds -- from hummingbirds to larger species -- have a taste for artificial sweeteners? The artificial taste of the sweeteners is very appealing to them, and the packages are often swiped from outdoor dining restaurants by mischievous birds. However, in the long run, since they have no caloric value, they should be kept away from birds at all costs. Birds that develop a taste for artificial sweeteners can quickly starve to death because they are getting zero nutritional content. Keeping the packets away helps birds maintain their natural diet.