Maximizing BATS

[Cosmoline]

I've noticed more and more bats are flying around my clearing at night, eating bugs. I'd like to make my area more bat friendly to attract more of them. Any resources? The area is boreal forest in Alaska with mixed spruce and birch.

[bare]

Man, I like those critters too. I have several bat houses scattered around our place in hopes that someone will one day take up residence. I think they'll rot before anyone takes me up on the free housing.

I guess the good part is that they are finding adequate housing needs without my efforts.

Google on bat houses and you'll find lots of information from plans to completed houses for sale.

[MMyers1]

Try the following websites:

http://www.batcon.org
http://www.batworld.org

[OD]

There is one that hangs on a crosstie under the barn. He gets under an old inner tube that's tied around it. I go down almost every day & look at him & he looks back at me. I thought about making a box for him, but he probably likes his inner tube better.

[gobug]

I don't think there is much you can do to attract bats, unless you can increase their food supply. I chuckle at the plans for bat houses and the optimism of those who try to encourage them to live in these man made houses. I have tried them as well with no success. I even captured 30 bats, built them a "perfect" house, and placed it in a good place. They readily got into the house and promptly left that night. As an exterminator, I have removed bats from attics many times. A bat family will live in the same place for decades. They don't often look for new accomodations. I think this is why the man-made bat houses have little success.

Sure bat houses will only be used if something happens to their current residence. One problem people have with bat houses is they mount them entirely wrong. You'll see bat houses mounted 5 or 6 feet up in a garden or on a shed. They need to be high up second story under a roof overhang. You can also mount them on bare trees or poles. They really need to be atleast 15 feet up. Also many of the designs are really more human inspired then bat. Kind of like those tiny little decorative birdhouses. They look nice in your garden but are worthless as a serviceable home. Also houses need to be in a sunny location.