HELPFUL INFORMATION ON BATS
You might be thinking why would anybody want a bat house in their back yard? One answer is insects. Most bats eat insects. Imagine, instead of one of those noisy, bright bug zapper lights, you could have a natural alternative, at lower cost. If you're wondering about the efficiency of owning a bat box consider this, one Little Brown Bat can eat 600 insects in one hour. Not to mention one small bat house can hold 20 bats. Bats are warm-blooded mammals that are adapted to flying at night and roosting during the day. They eat prodigious numbers of winged insects and, because they forage at tree height, you will hardly notice them reducing local mosquito populations. Encouraging such helpful creatures to roost in your backyard makes good sense.
Many bats hunt insects. They eat the mosquitoes and other flying insects that usually bug us, such as moths, beetles and grasshoppers that destroy crops. A little brown bat can eat 600 pesky mosquitoes in just one hour! A red bat eats 100 moths a night and prevents egg lying that would produce 25,000 new caterpillars that could attack farmer's crops.
Bats have been around since the age of dinosaurs and have been an essential part of the fragile ecosystem of the Earth. Bats keep the insect population in check. Fifty per cent of the species of bats today are on the endangered species list and some are already extinct. Not many people care about bats or even appreciate them for their value because they do not know the truth about bats; most believe the myths. When people think about bats, their mind conjures up images of a black silhouette gliding in front of a full moon on Halloween. Many people view bats as evil creatures that hang out with witches and vampires. The truth is that bats are shy gentle and intelligent creatures.
Don't be afraid if a bat swoops down close to your head. It is not "attacking" you. It is probably catching a juicy mosquito that was about to bite you. Bats that hunt insects use a very complicated from of radar called echolocation. Their eyes can see just as well as ours can, but when you hunt tiny insects moving about in the dark, you need another way of tracking them. Bats use sound on a very high frequency, so high that humans can't even hear it. They use their voices to make a squeaking sound and the echo bounces off from the insect. The echo is detected by the very keen hearing of the bat. They have different patterns of squeaks, chirps and clicks that can tell the bat; what type of insect, how far away it is, how fast, and in what direction it is going.
These sophisticated animals are vanishing at an astonishing rate due largely to decreased habitat by converting barns and attics into living quarters, blocking off the entrances of caves, and by deforestation, we have made them homeless. We need bats. Bats need us, too.
If you are putting up a bat house in hopes of emptying out your attic, chances are it will not work. If the bats are happy where they are, they probably see no reason to move. Of course, there are methods of getting them out. Jingling keys (they hate that sound) is enough to make them want to look for a new home or the way out of the house. When using bat houses in conjunction with excluding a colony from a building, install the bat houses at least two to six weeks before the actual eviction, if possible.
Most nursery colonies of bats choose roosts within 1/4 mile of water, preferably a stream, river or lake. The greatest bat house success has been achieved in areas of diverse habitat, especially where there is a mixture of varied agricultural use and natural vegetation. Bat houses are most likely to succeed in regions where bats are already attempting to live in buildings.
Houses where high temperatures in July average 80º F or less, should receive at least 10 hours of sun; more is better. At least six hours of direct daily sun are recommended for all bat houses where daily high temperatures in July average less than 100º F. Full, all-day sun is often the most successful in all but the hottest climates.
Bat houses should be mounted on poles or buildings. Houses mounted on trees or metal siding are seldom used. Wood or stone buildings with proper solar exposure are excellent choices, and locations under the eaves often have been successful. Mounting two bat houses back to back on poles is ideal. When mounting a bat house, look for a sunny area, and face the house south. All bat houses should be mounted at least 12 feet above ground; 15 to 20 feet is better. Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights. Heavily lighted areas at night it will confuse the bats.
Houses mounted on sides of buildings or on metal poles provide the best protection from predators. Metal predator guards may be helpful, especially on wooden poles. Bat houses may be found more quickly if located along forest or water edges where bats tend to fly; however, they should be placed at least 20 to 25 feet from the nearest tree branches, wires or other potential perches for aerial predators.
Wasps can be a problem before bats fully occupy a house. Use of 3/4 inch to 1 inch roosting spaces reduces wasp use. If nests accumulate, they should be removed in late winter or early spring before wasps or bats return. Open-bottom houses greatly reduce problems with birds, mice, squirrels or parasites, and guano does not accumulate inside.
It could take a long time before a new bat house attracts bats. Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, but are more likely to be used during their first summer if installed before the bats return in spring.
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