Welcome Bats to your Backyard Habitat on Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Bats’ phenomenal bug-catching prowess makes them a great form of natural pest control. A single Big Brown Bat or Little Brown Myotis can consume 500-1000 insects per hour, every night. To encourage bats in your yard keep these tips in mind . . . .

Tips to Encourage Bats:

• Use organic and natural methods of yard maintenance. Pesticides can harm bats and kill bugs that bats like to eat;
• Plant native plant species to attract bees and other insects;
• Hang a solar light to attract night-flying insects;
• Retain trees and snags in your yard. They provide habitat for insects, bats, birds, and other animals;
• Offer an open water source; water attracts insects and provides a place for bats to drink;
• Put up a bat house—naturally occurring roosts are scarce in urban areas

Bat House Placement Tips
Naturally occurring roosts are scarce in urban areas so offering bats a safe location for roosting in your yard helps provide much needed habitat.
• Mount bat boxes 15-20 feet high;
• Allow 15-20 feet of clearance in front of the entrance to allow the bats room to maneuver;
• If possible place in south or southeast exposure with 8-10 hours of sun;
• Use screws not nails to assure the house is mounted securely;
• Mount on poles, houses, or other buildings rather than in trees to ensure more warmth in the bat house;
• Bats are social creatures. Use the largest capacity bat house for the space available or place multiple houses together;
• Place your bat house away from areas of high human disturbance. Don’t shine lights into a bat house at night.