Experience the Benefits of Bats with Your Very Own Bat House

     Bats are a misunderstood mammal. Popularly believed to be aggressive or dangerous, these creatures are actually shy and gentle. Even so, why should you try to attract them with a bat house? Bats consume huge quantities of night-flying insects (like mosquitoes) nightly, and they are also responsible for pollinating flowers and propagating vegetation. In addition, erecting a bat house provides bats with roosting or nursery space and helps keep them out of eaves and attics. Installing a bat house can help provide a habitat for one of the world's most beneficial creatures.

How can I help bats?

Bat populations around the world are in decline. Much of this is due to loss of habitat, but the use of insecticides and improper methods for removing bats from buildings is also taking a major toll on this beneficial natural resource. The most important thing each of us can do to help bats is to dispel the myths and misunderstandings about this amazing and unusual animal. There are many books available today on the topic of bats. You can enjoy learning about bats and help spread the word about their true nature and benefits. You can also join a bat conservation organization and support their programs, either financially or as a volunteer. A quick search on the internet will lead you to the websites of bat conservation organizations in your country or area.

Bats and Bat Houses

Bats are amazing animals that use their hands to fly and echolocation calls to navigate in total darkness. Most bats feed on insects and are nature's most important controller of night flying insects. One bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in a night! But like much of our wildlife, bats are suffering from the loss of habitat. Your bat house can provide a safe roosting location for bats in your area.

Locating your bat house

Location is key when installing your bat house. Bat houses can be affixed to the sides of barns or buildings, or you can use a special bat house pole. Houses should be mounted 15'-20' and face a southerly direction. Two houses mounted back to back (the desired configuration) should face NW and SE. Do not face a lone bat house directly north. Houses mounted on posts in open areas seem to attract bats more easily than building-mounted houses. If you are going to use a bat house pole, you can ensure stability by using a 1.5" pipe at least 16' tall, or a 16'x 4" x 4" post. Bat houses should be mounted 10-20 feet above ground away from brightly lit areas.

Bats aren't the vicious blood sucking predators literature had made them out to be, and are actually vulnerable to predators. Owls and other large birds, raccoons, opossums, skunks, snakes and even tarantulas can prey on bats as they roost in trees, so be sure to mount your bat house at least 20-25 feet from the nearest tree, and never mount a bat house in a tree itself. In addition, ensure the bat house is not directly near any tree branches, phone wires or other obstacles that could interfere with the bats' navigation path. Bat houses should receive at least 10 hours of direct exposure to the sun in regions where the daily high temperature in July averages less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In regions where the average daily high temperature in July is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the house should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

While it could take a few years for a bat to find your bat house, there are a few factors that could affect the likelihood that they find it. If you live in an area where bats are already roosting in buildings, caves or bridges you have a greater chance of attracting bats to your house. Colonies of bats often select roosting sites that are located near a natural water source, so consider mounting your bat house in a location with the best path to the nearest lake, pond or spring.

Bats like to roost in warm spaces; painting your bat house can affect the internal temperature and make it more hospitable for bats. If you live in a region where the average high temperature in July is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, paint the house white or a light shade of paint. If the temperature averages 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit, choose a medium shade of paint. If the temperature averages 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit in July, a dark shade of paint is recommended, and if the average temperature is under 85 degrees Fahrenheit, paint your bat house black. Sealing the seams of your bat house with caulk or sealant can prevent heat from escaping, and may help attract bats as well.

How do I know if I have bats?

The best way to know if you have bats is to watch your bat house in the evening. If a colony of bats has moved in, you will see them leave the bat house between sunset and when the sky turns dark. Another way is to look for bat droppings on the ground.

Start benefiting from your bat house!

It may take some patience and experimentation until bats begin to roost in your bat house, but it will definitely be worth the time and effort in the long run. Bats are extremely advantageous to the environment, with fruit-eating bats responsible for seed-dispersal to aid re-forestation and pollinating flowering vegetation, and insect-eating bats responsible for eating an incredible amount of insects (including those ubiquitous pesky mosquitoes). By putting up a bat house you are providing them with a safe home they might not be able to find otherwise due to years of unwarranted human fear and persecution. In turn you will benefit from having fewer backyard pests, and will take pleasure in learning about bats and sharing your knowledge with your family and friends.