the ground to attempt to wipe the odor off. They will also groom themselves [lick hands and rub face] to help remove the odor.
Are skunks, like humans, more tolerant of their own stench than others? According to Dragoo, skunks are not as egocentric:
The skunk can spray without getting a drop on itself. Skunks are actually clean-smelling animals. It is what they hit that smells, well, like “skunk.”
If a skunk is in a situation where it would get its own spray on itself, the skunk’s chances of survival are usually low. An animal hit by a car will often get the liquid on itself, but usually after death. If a skunk is caught by a predator and in the midst of a fight, it can get some of the liquid on itself. But in those situations the predator likely has already been sprayed and has not been deterred. The skunk will spray to defend itself even if it gets spray on itself.
The chemical composition of the spray is the same from one animal to another with some potential individual variation, but the “smelly” components are the same. Their own spray is as offensive as another’s. The difference is that they are likely not to get their own spray near their face, whereas they would aim for the face of a “rival.”
I have approached live, trapped animals and covered the trap with a plastic bag. This usually keeps the animal calm. However, on a few occasions, I have approached high-strung animals that spray multiple times at the bag. They are then covered by the same bag. They are still agitated when covered, but this may be a result of their already being wired.
On one occasion, I peeked under the bag and did observe the animal rubbing its face along the bottom of the trap as if it were trying to “get the odor off.” Then it sprayed me…in the face.
Submitted by Robert Brown of Millerton, New York.
W hy Do Ice Trays Function Better When Put in Their Designated Area in the Freezer? Or Do They?
Even low-end freezers have a spot designated for ice making, while expensive freezers feature automatic ice makers that promise everything but frozen margaritas. We’ve often wondered whether there is a reason for the location of the ice section of the freezer. Our experts say: Yes!
If heat rises, why are the ice compartments usually on the top? On most freezers, the evaporator, the metal tubing that converts a liquid refrigerant into cold vapor, is located on the top of the freezer. The ice trays then benefit from actual contact with the cooling source, and thus chill partly via conduction. The ice section of the freezer is usually located in the coldest possible spot.
A freezer is supposed to provide a cold temperature throughout the entire unit. But in practice, folks at home tend to jam freezer shelves with frozen waffles, ice cream, mysterious Ziploc bags, and leftover meat that will never be seen and certainly not eaten again. Dick Stilwill, of the National Appliance Parts Suppliers Association, implores us to unstuff our freezer:
The airflow in a freezer gets restricted when you jam in all the items you can and still get the door closed. Folks want ice to be formed
now,
dammit! So [manufacturers] position the ice process where the airflow is unrestricted and will make ice the quickest.
What’s so important about airflow in a freezer? When you place an ice tray with cold water in the freezer, the temperature of the water is obviously higher than the rest of the freezer. So as the water in the tray starts to freeze, there is some evaporation. This evaporation creates a thin layer of air just above the cubes that is slightly warmer than the rest of the freezer compartment. If the air in the freezer doesn’t circulate, this little layer of warmth will slow down the progression of ice formation. The solution is to blow away the warmer air and bring in the ambient temperature of the freezer.
In the ice tray department, there is plenty of space for air circulation. But if you crammed the same-temperature water in
Are skunks, like humans, more tolerant of their own stench than others? According to Dragoo, skunks are not as egocentric:
The skunk can spray without getting a drop on itself. Skunks are actually clean-smelling animals. It is what they hit that smells, well, like “skunk.”
If a skunk is in a situation where it would get its own spray on itself, the skunk’s chances of survival are usually low. An animal hit by a car will often get the liquid on itself, but usually after death. If a skunk is caught by a predator and in the midst of a fight, it can get some of the liquid on itself. But in those situations the predator likely has already been sprayed and has not been deterred. The skunk will spray to defend itself even if it gets spray on itself.
The chemical composition of the spray is the same from one animal to another with some potential individual variation, but the “smelly” components are the same. Their own spray is as offensive as another’s. The difference is that they are likely not to get their own spray near their face, whereas they would aim for the face of a “rival.”
I have approached live, trapped animals and covered the trap with a plastic bag. This usually keeps the animal calm. However, on a few occasions, I have approached high-strung animals that spray multiple times at the bag. They are then covered by the same bag. They are still agitated when covered, but this may be a result of their already being wired.
On one occasion, I peeked under the bag and did observe the animal rubbing its face along the bottom of the trap as if it were trying to “get the odor off.” Then it sprayed me…in the face.
Submitted by Robert Brown of Millerton, New York.
W hy Do Ice Trays Function Better When Put in Their Designated Area in the Freezer? Or Do They?
Even low-end freezers have a spot designated for ice making, while expensive freezers feature automatic ice makers that promise everything but frozen margaritas. We’ve often wondered whether there is a reason for the location of the ice section of the freezer. Our experts say: Yes!
If heat rises, why are the ice compartments usually on the top? On most freezers, the evaporator, the metal tubing that converts a liquid refrigerant into cold vapor, is located on the top of the freezer. The ice trays then benefit from actual contact with the cooling source, and thus chill partly via conduction. The ice section of the freezer is usually located in the coldest possible spot.
A freezer is supposed to provide a cold temperature throughout the entire unit. But in practice, folks at home tend to jam freezer shelves with frozen waffles, ice cream, mysterious Ziploc bags, and leftover meat that will never be seen and certainly not eaten again. Dick Stilwill, of the National Appliance Parts Suppliers Association, implores us to unstuff our freezer:
The airflow in a freezer gets restricted when you jam in all the items you can and still get the door closed. Folks want ice to be formed
now,
dammit! So [manufacturers] position the ice process where the airflow is unrestricted and will make ice the quickest.
What’s so important about airflow in a freezer? When you place an ice tray with cold water in the freezer, the temperature of the water is obviously higher than the rest of the freezer. So as the water in the tray starts to freeze, there is some evaporation. This evaporation creates a thin layer of air just above the cubes that is slightly warmer than the rest of the freezer compartment. If the air in the freezer doesn’t circulate, this little layer of warmth will slow down the progression of ice formation. The solution is to blow away the warmer air and bring in the ambient temperature of the freezer.
In the ice tray department, there is plenty of space for air circulation. But if you crammed the same-temperature water in
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