Attracting bats might sound
like the opposite of what you would want to do. However, one bat
can eat between 500-1200 insects in an hour and will consume 3000
to 6000 a night. Bats favorite foods include mosquitoes, grasshoppers,
moths, flies, crickets, gnats and fruit flies and they work while
you're fast asleep. It's a living, breathing bug zapper. The question
is, how do you attract them?
Building or buying a bat house
is the easiest method for attracting bats. But careful consideration
must be made to its construction and position if you want to be
successful. Although some factors change depending on the climate,
most are universal.
Here are a few universal
considerations about the position and construction of a bat house:
· Bats hate drafts.
Caulk all seams, especially around the roof.
· Bat houses must be placed at least 10 feet off the ground.
You will get better results if the house is located 15 to 20 feet
off the ground.
· Houses mounted on poles and structures are generally occupied
faster than those mounted on trees are. Most reports that bat houses
mounted on poles have the highest rate of occupancy. Trees make
the houses more vulnerable to predators. Also, Bats like a clear
swoop zone to get in and out of their roosts, and tree branches
are hard for them to maneuver around.
· Do not mount houses close to bright lights.
· Bat houses within 1/4 mile from a water source (stream,
river, or pond) have a greater chance of attracting bats. Houses
over a mile away from a water source have little chance of becoming
occupied.
· The inside of a bat house should be roughened. Create horizontal
grooves 1/2 inch apart and 1/32-1/16 inch deep or attach plastic
screen flat onto the wood surface will allow the bats to grip.
· Houses should face toward the south or southeast. This
will enable the house to make use of the morning sun.
· If you build your own bat house, make sure that you use
don't use pressure treated wood. It may contain chemicals harmful
to bats. Also, use exterior grade or galvanized screws rather than
nails.
· For the best results, try positioning several bat houses
around your yard. This will allow bats to move from one box to the
other as the climate changes.
Climate Considerations
Bats like it warm but not too warm. The internal structure should
stay between 80-90 degrees. Temperatures above 95 degrees will cause
the colony to move out. Color and sunlight are two factors that
can help guarantee that your bat house is capable of maintaining
the correct temperature in your climate.
The color of the house matters.
In northern areas, bat houses should be painted dark brown or black
in order to increase the inside temperature by absorbing sunlight.
Remember to use a water-based paint or stain that is nontoxic. In
the south, houses can be painted any color from medium brown to
white, depending on the amount of sunlight it receives. In the hotter
areas of the south, houses should be painted white and have reflective
tin roofs with overhanging eaves. This will shield the sides and
tops from sun except during the early and later parts of the day
and prevent it from becoming overheated.
Bat houses positioned in full
shade are rarely occupied, except in the hotest areas of the south.
Bat houses should receive at least six hours of sunlight. The further
north, the more sunlight the house needs. In Canada and northern
states, houses should receive at least ten hours of direct sun,
although more is better.
For the best results, you might
try mounting two houses back to back on a pole, a light-colored
one facing northwest and a dark-colored colored facing southeast.
The darker house should be painted black in northern climates and
dark or medium brown in southern climates. The darker house would
be warmed early in the morning and remain warm through the day.
The northwestern house would be shaded until late afternoon and
then absorb little heat due to its lighter color. The two houses
in close proximity allow the bats to move from one to the other
as needed.
Except in the extreme southern
United States where bats stay active year-round, Bats will migrate
or hibernate through the winter. They awaken around March and will
remain active through the summer and into the late fall. Thus, it
is advisable that you have your bat house constructed and positioned
before then. Most bat houses will be occupied within one to six
months during the first year it is constructed. If, however, your
bat house fails to attract occupants by the end of the second summer,
move the house to another location and try again. Finding the perfect
location might take some trial and error, but will be worth it.-
Darcy Logan
