People often think that both my wife and I are "bats" when we tell them that we would like to draw bats into our area. Knowing that bats are probably one of the best mosquito eaters, along with swallows, we would like to draw some into our area. We have two questions:
(1) What is the best way of attracting bats into our area? {We live just above a river in an area where there is a lot of shrubbery and trees.}
(2) Where can we go to purchase inexpensive bat houses, or obtain directions on how to build bat houses? Thanks for you help.
Trumpet also known as hummingbird vine attracts bats by night and hummingbirds by day. They are a very hardy vine and you can't kill them. Good luck. I live in Iowa and would gladly give you some of my bats.
We have been contemplating the same thing. We have bats in the neighborhood, but would like more. I found the following site on bat conservation that has information on how to attract bats and the living conditions they require as well as plans (or links to them) for making bat houses.
"If you want to exclude bats from your house, or just want to attract bats to your yard for mosquito control, you can provide them with a safe and suitable alternate home in a bat house. Used for more than 60 years, bat houses look like bottomless bird houses. Small houses may consist of a single narrow chamber, while large ones have partitions inside to divide the space in narrow, bat-sized hangouts. Build the houses from untreated, rough- sided wood, such as cedar or pine boards. Space any inside partitions 2-4 centimetres apart, and cover one side of each partition with fibreglass window screening (do not use metal mesh) to provide a secure foothold for the bats. In cool areas, paint the box a dark color or cover the outside with tar paper to increase the solar heat absorbed by the box and position it so that it receives at least five hours of sunlight a day.
Bat houses should be installed at least 3-4 metres (12-15 feet) above the ground, where the entry is unobstructed and out of the reach of predators. Bat houses attract more occupants when they are located near a permanent water source - especially a marsh, lake or river. A bat house can be hung in a tree, but those attached to the side of a building or mounted on a pole have been most successful. Bat houses should face south or southeast to receive morning sun exposure. In regions with hot summers, they may require shade by mid- day.
Using bat houses is still experimental, therefore, if the bat house remains empty after one year, try moving it to improve the sun exposure or put up other bat houses in different locations. For more detailed information on bat and bat houses, contact Bat Conservation International*. Beyond providing bat houses, people can enhance the urban environment for bats by preserving barns, sheds, caves and snags as potential roost sites."
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