Bats
Bats
have been the source of many myths and fears for many years. Dispelling
these myths and fears is as simple as knowing the facts.
North
American bats are invaluable natural resources. As primary predators
of night-flying insects, bats play a vital role in maintaining the
balance of nature. A single little brown bat can catch hundreds
of mosquitoes in an hour. Bats that frequent bat houses eat insects
that could damage crops, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink
bugs, leafhoppers and corn worm moths. Most likely to inhabit bat
houses are little brown bats, big brown bats, eastern pipistrelle
and the eastern long-eared bat.
Bat
Facts
-
Providing
bat houses can help build the populations of many valuable bat
species. Providing houses furnishes places for bats to roost,
hibernate and raise young, in addition to, and when the natural
sites are not available.
-
Little
Brown Bats, while hibernating can reduce their heart rate to
20  beats
per minute and can stop breathing for 48 minutes at a time.
Little Brown Bats can hibernate for more than seven months if
left undisturbed.
-
Desert
eco systems rely on nectar feeding bats as primary pollinators
of giant cacti.
-
A
nursing little brown bat mother can eat more than her body weight
nightly (up to 4,500 insects).
-
Less
than 1% of bats contract rabies, and usually bite in self defense.
-
A
mother Mexican Free-tailed Bat can produce more than five times
as much milk as an average Holstein cow.
-
Almost
40% of American bat species are threatened or endangered.
-
The
loss of bats contributes to an imbalance in nature that helps
cause increases in use of toxic pesticides that threaten our
heath and environment.
Bat
Houses
Providing
bat houses can help build the populations of many valuable bat species.
Providing houses furnishes places for bats to roost, hibernate and
raise young. This is, in addition to and when, natural sites are
not available.
Most likely
to inhabit bat houses are little brown bats, big brown bats, eastern
pipistrelle and the eastern long-eared bat.
In the northern
two thirds of the U.S. and Canada, most bats migrate south in the
winter. Most bats that inhabit bat houses will move to caves, or
mines. Tree roosting bats will fly south.
Bats find
houses by sight. If a house in the proper location, meets the requirements
and is needed, the bats will move in on their own.
The majority
of bats that use houses are females using the house as nurseries.
Bat House
Placement
Bat boxes
should be hung at least 15’ above the ground-- the higher, the better.
Research shows that they are more successful if they have at least
8 hours of sun. The morning sun is most important. Bat houses should
face the south or southeast. In northern areas the top third of
the house should be painted brown or black with a latex water base
paint to aid in warming the box. In southern parts of the country,
the boxes can be painted latex water base white, if there is too
much direct sun. Bat houses mounted 20’ away from trees are inhabited
twice as quickly as those in wooded areas.
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