Actually, bats have gotten a bad rap they can be very beneficial to an area especially if you are trying to control the local insect population. I don’t know about the area that you’re from but here in Central Florida in the summer months the mosquito’s can at times become almost unbearable where you can’t walk from your front door to your mailbox without getting “eaten up.” I did some research online, and found that a single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects (mosquito’s included) in a night! Multiply that by the 10 or so bats that should be able to easily fit in this three chamber bat house, and you can see that we’ve got a great form of natural pest control without having to spray a bunch of crazy chemicals all over the yard.

I found a great set of bat house plans which we used for this project over at the Florida Bat Conservancy website. Check out their website, if you find yourself really getting into this and want further information on bats they are a great resource. Anyways, let’s go ahead and get started it’s time to learn how to make a bat house.

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Step 1 (Grab a glass, fill with Sweet Tea. Repeat.)
Grab yourself a tall glass of Sweet Tea, when it’s empty refill. It’s gonna make this whole project all the more worth it!

Step 2 (Chop down a tree and gather the wood.)
You will need the following pieces of wood for this project, you may have them around the house. If not head up to your favorite hardware store or lumber yard:

1. One 3′ long 1 x 8″ board (you may have to buy this at 6′ long and cut it down)
2. One 8′ long 1 x 6″ board
3. One 6′ long 1 x 4″ board
4. One 3′ long 1 x 1″ (you may have to buy it at 6′ long and cut it down)
5. One 2′ x 2′ sheet of T-111 exterior siding or rough sided plywood
6. 46 – 1 1/2″ #8 galvanized or other exterior wood screws
7. Exterior grade silicone (to seal the bat house when complete)
8. Roofing Shingles (optional, I had some extras at the house and used them)
9. Exterior grade deck sealer or stain (optional, helps your bat house last longer)

Step 3 (Measure twice, cut once.. hopefully)
Time to start making some cuts to your wood. If you are uncomfortable cutting wood or simply don’t have the tools to do so most home improvement stores will cut wood down to your required sizes. It may cost you around .25 cents a cut but it’s for sure a time saver if you don’t have proper equipment.

1. From the 1×8″  cut one 16″ section (roof), and one 14″ section (back).
2. From the 1×6″  cut six 14″ sections (front & back).
3. From the 1×4″ cut one 14″ section (back), and then cut two pieces at 23 1/2″ long with a 21 1/2″ cut on the front of the board (this creates a 30 degree angle needed for the slope of the roof, see picture below)
4. From the 1×1″ cut four 17″ sections (spacers)
5. From the T-111 or plywood cut one 17″ x 12″ section and one 16″ x 12″ section (if you have a larger piece of plywood you can cut at 12 1/2″ instead of 12″ for a flush fit.
6. Bevel the 1x8x16″ roof section that you cut to 30 degrees, this is best done with a circular or table saw and will ensure that the roof fits properly on the bat house.
7. Bevel one of the 14″ X 6″ pieces at 30 degrees. This piece will be used on the front of the bat house and the bevel is necessary to match the slope of the roof.

At this step I have cut all the necessary pieces to their required lengths and angles.

In the South, we make bat houses on the front porch!

Step 4 (Put it together)
At this point you should have all your pieces of wood cut, and ready for assembly. It is a good idea to go back and verify that you didn’t make any mistakes in cutting before you start this step.

Begin assembly of the bat house by placing the two side pieces on a flat surface with the long sides up. Place one of the 14×6″ pieces that you cut earlier on top and align it with the bottom of the two side pieces (see image below). Use two wood screws per side to secure it. Be sure to drill pilot holes for all screws as this will prevent the wood from splitting. The plans recommend using a 3/32″ bit for this, if you don’t have that just use something that is smaller than the diameter of your wood screws.

NOTE: As you put the bat house together in the next few steps it would be a good idea to use both wood glue and exterior silicone to seal the entire house, bats prefer dry spaces.

Repeat the exact steps that we made in the image above with a 6″, 4″, 6″ and 8″ piece, in that order. This will place the 8″ piece at the top of the bat house (see below images for an example).

back pieces being installed, notice the use of caulking to prevent leaks.

Bat House with a completed back

When you have completed the back of your bat house lay it flat, and get your 1×1″ pieces and place them inside the house in the corners as shown in the image below. Be sure to leave 4½”space in the bottom of the bat house so that the bats will have an area to land before they crawl up into one of the three chambers.

Once your 1×1′s are in place take the plywood or rough siding that you cut to 17″ and place it directly on top of the 1×1′s. BE SURE YOU PRE-DRILL YOUR HOLES before screwing the plywood down through the 1×1′s or your bat house will end up looking like mine with split wood. The plans recommend using three screws per side, and be sure that your they attach securely all the way through to the back of the bat house to help strengthen the entire product.

Now take the last two 1×1′s and put them directly above the other 1×1′s, next grab your 16″ plywood piece and position it so that they are both level at the top of the bat house, leaving an inch of space at the bottom where the bats crawl into. Once everything is in place go ahead and pre drill your holes and securely screw everything down being careful not to hit the screws you installed in the previous step.

I didn’t follow my advice, always pre-drill your holes to prevent splitting!

Now it’s time to put the front of the bat house on, go ahead and grab the 1x6x14″ piece that you beveled at a 30 degree angle during the cutting phase. Line it up with the top of the bat house so that it matches the angle of your two side pieces, this way your roof will have a perfect slope. Pre drill two holes per side and attach this board to your side pieces.

Next put another 1x6x14″ directly under the piece you just attached and follow the same steps as above (pre drill and two screws per side). Once this piece is completed grab another 1x6x14″ piece, place it about 1/2″ below the board you just installed to allow for ventilation (see picture below) and pre drill / screw it in.

Just about finished!

Once you have the front pieces attached all that’s left is to center your roof (1x8x16″ with 30 degree bevel), pre drill and attach it. It is important that you using a good amount of exterior grade silicone or caulking where the roof meets the back of the bat house as this is where you will have the highest chance for leaks.

I went an extra step and actually installed some extra roofing shingles I had in my shed on the bat house which along with the exterior stain I used  should equal to many years of use. I’ll try to take one with the shingles on it for you all and post it soon!

It is recommended that you install your bat house at least 10 feet above the ground (higher the better) and on a post (4×4 or larger) or building, in an area that receives at least a few hours of sun each day. Everything I have read says not to install your bat house in a tree as it leaves the bats open to predators and is often too shaded and has a lower chance of being inhabited. If you put up your bat house before the spring you and all of the conditions are right there is a chance you will have bats living in your bat house by summer!

This concludes our how to make a bat house tutorial, what do you all think? Are you going to give this a try, was the post confusing or well laid out and easy to follow? Go fill up that glass of Sweet Tea that you got in Step 1 and let me know what you think!

First, tea itself is a drink that traces its roots back thousands of years, and by most estimations is the second most popular drink in the world after of course water. Sweet Tea is quite a bit newer as the earliest mention goes back to 1879 where the first known recipe was published in a book called Housekeeping in Old Virginia. The book was written by Marion Cabell Tyree (1826-1912), who was the last surviving granddaughter of American Patriot Patrick Henry and included everything from recipes to how-to’s around the house. Original copies of the book still exist but are naturally quite expensive, reprints are available and are easy to come by and actually fairly cheap on places like Amazon. If you prefer digital (ie. free) I’ve been able to find a PDF version available online. I highly recommend checking this book out if not just for the historical value of it, what a great window to the past.

If you’ve ever made your own Sweet Tea you know how easy, and cheap it is to brew and how it sits just right poured over ice. In the late 1800′s however, iced Sweet Tea was considered a luxury drink, and was actually fairly expensive to make. The reason being that the ingredients (tea, sugar, ice), especially the ice was hard to come by and usually had to be shipped in from great distances, they didn’t have fridges with ice makers in every home back then!

The idea of “Iced Tea” most likely gained popularity during the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair (even though ice was still somewhat expensive at this time). It is said that Richard Blechynden, a tea plantation owner planned to give away free samples of his hot tea to fair goers. Since I wasn’t actually at the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis I can only trust the accounts of the summer heat being unbearable, which led to Mr. Blechynden’s hot tea idea being a big flop. Ever the entrepreneur Blechynden decided to throw some ice in his tea, cooling it to a nice chilly temperature that as the history books say helped to solidify Iced Tea’s popularity as it was a huge hit. To be fair (get it.. fair? ehh) there are mentions of Iced Tea years before Mr. Blechynden, in fact 880 gallons were served to a large group of ex-Confederate troops during a 1890 reunion in Missouri. As ice became cheaper, and more widely available so did the popularity of Iced Tea.

Now that you have a brief history of where Sweet Tea came from, and why we drink it iced I would like to share with you a few of our favorite recipes. Some have been sent to us by our friends from all over, others you’ll find printed right inside our line of fresh brewed Sweet tea shirts, and a few more are just some great recipes we’ve found around the internet. Try them, and let us know what your favorites are. Hey, if you have a recipe that you feel has to be shared send it over, and if we love it you may have your name printed along with the recipe inside one of our upcoming tea shirts!

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• Recipe Name
  The first Sweet Tea recipe EVER (by Mrs. S.T [Samuel Tyree] aka Marion Cabell Tyree)

• Ingredients
  After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea-strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time then pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency. -Mrs. S.T.
  

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• Recipe Name
  Sweet Tea with no Dregs (by A Nest for All Seasons blog) If you want a visual, step by step of the entire process of how to make sweet tea this is one of the best.

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• Recipe Name
  C’s Sweet Green Tea (by Cricket Shanney)

• Ingredients
  5 tea bags
  2 tbsp fresh ginger (approx), sliced
  2 lemons, sliced
  1 quarts boiling water
  1 c sugar
  1/2 c honey
  fresh mint
  ice

• Directions
  Boil water in a pot on the stove. Add the tea bags and ginger and let steep. Add sugar and honey and stir to dissolve. Add 1/2 of the sliced lemon. Remove the tea bags and refrigerate until chilled. Add mint and the rest of the lemon. Serve over ice.

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• Recipe Name
  Wicked Sweet Tea (by Brynn Ford)

• Ingredients
  1 bottle of Savannah Sweet Tea (or for non-alcoholic, make one gallon of sweetened sun tea using Luzianne’s recipe)
  4 lemons
  1 quart of lemonade

• Directions
  The night before, freeze lemonade into ice-cube trays. If applicable, make sun tea.Slice lemons into circles. Place one lemon slice at the bottom of each glass. Put lemonade ice cubs in glass and then pour Savannah Sweet Tea or sun tea. Serve with flair.I live in Savannah where it get’s hot fast and we feel it’s a crime for our ice to melt and water down our drinks!

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• Recipe Name
  Insomniac Sweet Tea (by Bradley Rhodes)
  For all the sweet tea junkies who have trouble sleeping….

• Ingredients
  3 bags decaf tea
  1.5 cups of sugar
  1 gallon of water

• Directions
  Take your three family size tea bags put them in a 4 cup Pyrex bowl full of water, put it in microwave for 4-5 minutes let seep for 5 minutes. Add a cup and a half of sugar to your 1 gallon jug and mix with water. fill it to the brim!!! Serve cold as possible!! And Remember..” Tea tastes better in a plastic cup”

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• Recipe Name
  Family Recipe (by Lindsey Croft)

• Ingredients
  3 family sized tea bags
  2 liter pitcher
  1 quart pot
  1 cup of sugar

• Directions
  Fill the 1 quart pot with water, and add the 1 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes remove from heat, add the tea bags and let sit for a least 2 hours (the longer the better). After at least 2 hours empty the syrup into a 2 liter pitcher and fill the remainder with ice-cold water. The secret is to create the syrup, instead of mixing in the sugar dry. Enjoy!

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• Recipe Name
  Mango Sweet Tea

• Ingredients
  6 high quality tea bags
  2 cups mango nectar
  1.5 quarts cold water
  1 thinly sliced fresh mango
  1 cup sugar
  1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

• Directions
  Bring your water to a boil, once boiling turn off the heat, add tea bags and steep until the water turns dark (approx. 5 minutes). Remove tea bags, add mango nectar, and sugar (to taste). Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Put tea in a pitcher and add mint leaves. Pour over ice, garnish with mango slices and enjoy!

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Do you feel like after reading this page that you’ve got the know how to make sweet tea? It’s really a simple process, but as shown above there are many ways of going about it. I want to hear from you after you’ve tried any of the above recipes, are they great or not so much?

Note: Featured Image at the top of this post are used by permission of Allenaim Photography, you can find them and their amazing work at: http://www.allenaim.com

Well folks, we just got a fancy new toy in here at the office.. the KNK Zing. It’s a pretty sweet Vinyl Cutting machine that is big enough to cut up to 15″ sheets of vinyl yet just that perfect size to fit on the corner of your desk (this is of course where ours ended up.. on my desk, until I can find a better spot!).

The great thing about this machine is that it opens up the door to some pretty amazing new product offerings (ie. a BUNCH of new vinyl stickers) that you will be seeing populate our online shop in the coming days and weeks. The ability to take an idea, create it in Photoshop or Illustrator and then turn around and within a short amount of time have that very idea as a “stickable” sticker is great and continues our commitment at Sweet Tea Junkie to creating products that are 100% Made in America, by American Workers.

The voice on the other end of the line was none other than Kristen Weaver, Orlando based photographer and head of Images for a Cure. She was looking to have a shirt designed for Images for a cure, with the goal to donate a sizable dollar amount per shirt sold to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

I’ve known Kristen for a couple years now, she even did a photo shoot for Sweet Tea Junkie when we were just getting started. It’s well worth it to have professional product shots by the way (we’ll talk about that in another post).

At any rate I accepted right away, and this was definitely one of those fun projects where everything came together and the end result is something I’m pretty proud of. At times there can be a difference between the design you see in photoshop or Illustrator during the design process, and the actual final printed product. This was definitely not the case here, these shirts look amazing!

Have a look at our online shop, and pick yourself up one or ten of these! You’ll look great in it, and feel good for buying it because all the profits bring us all one step closer to eliminating breast cancer for good.

Perhaps, but the truth is.. anyone who has had perfectly brewed fresh Sweet Tea knows it’s something that is absolutely worth waiting for. If you’ve never had a tall glass of Sweet Iced Tea that was actually brewed and not “mixed” the best place to start would be with one of the amazing recipes that we print inside our “tea shirts.” We feature a different recipe in each size and the best part is the recipes are sent in by our fans so you know they’re tested and taste proven! Making Sweet Tea at home is really easy, it’s like anything that’s worth doing right though.. it takes a little bit of time and sometimes practice to get it right.

Azaleas in bloom

Confederate Jasmine

Japanese Boxwood

There is something about spring that makes it my absolute favorite time of year.  Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s actually starting to warm up, and the weather is mostly amazing.  Maybe it’s the orange blossoms that start blooming here in Florida.  Then again, could be the azaleas with their explosion of flowers.  I believe it’s a combination of those things, and so much more that makes me love this time of year.

Springtime for me means going to Home Depot and Lowe’s, or one of our local nurseries (http://www.lordsnursery.com/) and spending way too much time looking through the garden departments getting ideas for new plants to place around my home.  It means loading up the car with bags of mulch, fertilizer, and soil to place around those plants and my existing ones.  If I had nothing better to do during the day, I’m pretty sure I could spend all day outside working in the yard, and never grow tired of it.

There is something about being able to take an overgrown, or dead area and after working it make it new again.  Something that you can step back from when you are done and be proud of.  Spring for me is the perfect time to do this, the weather is perfect, plants are growing, and the Sweet Tea is flowing!  What’s your favorite time of year?