Will attracting bats to bat houses in my yard make them move into my attic or wall spaces?
No, they probably would already be living there.
What types of bats are in my area?
Most
areas have several species of bats. The Big Brown Bat and the
Little Brown Bat are the most abundant bats in the United States, and
are the most frequent users of bat houses.
Why would I want to attract bats?
Bats are sensitive to high
pollution and pesticide levels and are a warning sign to potential
environmental problems. Bats
are good indicators of a healthy environment. Bats are important in combating insects that
are actually dangerous to humans. A small bat can capture more than
1,200 mosquitoes in a hour! Bats cannot contract West Nile
Virus by eating infected mosquitoes. Besides mosquitoes, bats help
control the populations of beetles, moths, and leaf hoppers. Many insects
can hear bats up to 100 feet away and try to avoid areas occupied by
bats. The presence of bats diminishes the need for pesticides that can
harm both the pests and their natural predators.
Do I have bats in my area?
Bats are found on every continent except for Antarctica. Many people have bats in their backyard without even knowing it.
How do I attract bats?
Putting up a bat house is the first step toward attracting bats. Suitable housing for bats is rapidly decreasing in many areas.
What size bat house do I need?
You
should always consider design when selecting your bat house. According
to research, larger bat houses (often called nursery houses) have higher
occupancy rates than the smaller houses. Multiple bat houses will often
increase occupancy rates. By combining a larger house for the females
and their pups and a smaller house for the more solitary males, people
are able to establish larger and more stable bat colonies. In addition
to size, there are other factors to consider. All landing areas and
partition surfaces should be rough to allow bats to easily cling when
landing and roosting. Ventilation gaps are important where average July
temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where should I place my bat house?
You
may place your bat house on a tree, pole, or a building; however, boxes
mounted on poles or buildings tend to have a higher occupancy than
those mounted on trees. For mounting on buildings, wood or stone
buildings are best, and your bat house should be mounted under the eaves
with 6-10 hours of sun exposure depending on your region. You should
mount your house 15-20 feet above the ground where it will not be
exposed to bright lights. Also, you should place your bat house where it
will receive at least six hours of sun if you live in a region where
average July temperatures range from 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If
you live in a region where average July temperature are less than 80
degrees Fahrenheit, you should mount your bat house where it will
receive at least 10 hours of sun.
What color bat house should I choose?
While
Color choice can often help in regulating the temperature inside the
house. Bat houses in warmer areas, such as the southern United States, will benefit from light colored. Cooler areas, like the northern
U. S. and Canada, will benefit from a darker color to help absorb more
warmth from the sun.
When should I put up my bat house?
You
may mount your box at any time of the year, but those boxes mounted in
the spring are often occupied more quickly. If you are evicting a colony
of bats from a building, a box should be mounted several weeks prior to
the eviction.
How do I know if I have bats in my bat house?
One
easy way to find out whether or not your bat house is occupied is to
look for bat guano (bat droppings) under or near the bat house. Another
way is to shine a flashlight up into the house. It's recommended you
don't do this often, as frequently disturbing a colony can cause them to
abandon the bat house.
Should I clean my bat house?
Bat
houses are relatively maintenance free, so you shouldn't have to clean
your bat house. General maintenance should be done when the bats have
left to hibernate for the winter.
I put up a bat house, but still do not have any bats. What can I do?
Attracting
a colony can take some time, and many different factors are involved in
the process. The first consideration is the location of the house. Is
it up high enough? Is it close enough to water? Are there adequate food
sources nearby? The second consideration is temperature inside the
house. If the average temperature is too hot or too cold or is
inconsistent, bat colonies may not stay. By limiting or increasing the
amount of sunlight a house receives in order to maintain a consistent
warm temperature. Other factors that affect bat house occupation include
the use of pesticides nearby, human activity, and lack of vegetation.
What do bats eat?
Approximately
70 percent of all bats are insectivores, including the majority of
North American bats. North American bats primarily feed on night flying
insects, especially mosquitoes, and some beetles, moths, and leaf hoppers.
Will bats harm people, pets, or birds?
Bats
are not aggressive and do not intentionally attack people or other
animals, however, they will bite if touched. Birding enthusiasts
shouldn't worry about competition between bats and birds. Since bats are
nocturnal, they rarely come in contact with most birds. There is rarely
competition for food since there is not typically a shortage of insects
that are consumed by both bats and insect eating birds.
Do bats carry rabies?
The
most popular belief is that bats are vicious carriers of rabies. The
fact is that bats do not exhibit any higher percentage of rabies
infection than any other animal species. In fact, bats infected with
rabies usually do not exhibit the aggressive behavior that often occurs
in other animals. Rabies infection normally paralyzes the bat, so do not
pick up a bat that may be lying on the ground without protective
covering.
When do bats hibernate?
In
most of North America, bats hibernate from late Fall until early
Spring. They often seek out caves and abandoned mines, and will migrate
from their current homes (buildings, bat houses, etc.) to warmer places.
Bats in the southern United States, do not hibernate. They go into a
state of torpor if outside temperatures approach 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Torpor is a state of inactivity in which the bats stay in their day
roosts for extended periods of time to conserve energy until
temperatures rise.