Would You Like a Bat House?

Where should a bat house be placed?
A bat house should be mounted on a building, chimney, or poles, 15 feet or higher. They need to be where they will receive several hours of morning or afternoon sun, and in cooler climates need to be darker colors to help heat the house. Bat houses mounted on poles should have a backboard, similar to a basketball net. Plastic mesh or nylon window screening should cover the entire backboard to ensure a foothold for landing. Bat houses mounted on trees are rarely successful.

What attracts bats? Can bats be purchased?
There is no known method of attracting bats to houses. Naturally, houses placed in areas where bats are known to exist would be more likely to attract bats. It has been found that bat houses located near water are more likely to be occupied.The houses need to be placed within a safe distance from obstacles, providing adequate flight space and protection from aerial predators.
It is NOT legal to buy or sell bats. If it were, bats cannot be relocated or introduced into a bat house since they are very territorial and will return to where they came from.
However, it is well documented that when bat houses are used in conjunction with an exclusion, the excluded bats readily move into nearby bat houses and there has been a remarkable 97% occupancy rate!

How long will it take and how can you tell that bats are using the house?
According to Bat Conservation International, you need to allow at least 2 full summer seasons before making any alterations or moving a bat house to a new location. Bats will be fairly vocal during the day so you should be able to hear them. Another good way to tell is by evidence of droppings below the bat house. Bat droppings (guano) make excellent fertilizer, you may want to move it to your garden!

Which bats most commonly occupy bat houses?
Although there has been reported use by many species, the most frequently reported species are little brown bats, free-tailed bats, and big brown bats. These are all insect eating bats, a much better alternative to pest control than pesticides!