Going Bats!

Bats despite their less than desirable reputation have a remarkable ability to control insects especially disease carrying mosquitoes. A single bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquito sized insects every hour. Research has shown that a single bat can consume 6,000 to 8,000 bugs each night. What an appetite!

Bat populations are on the decline and man is partly to blame for it. With the increased use of synthetic pesticides the poisoned bugs are eaten by the bats. They are also slow at reproduction, female bats only have one pup per year, so populations are slow to come back.  We can help the bats by planting herbs and flowers that will attract and invite night flying insects to your yard.

Shelter is another factor for attracting bats to your yard.  Providing them a bat house to roost in during the daylight hours is a great help. It gives them someplace safe and weather proof to sleep and raise young. It will be a much better place than your attic, garage and barn.  

Bat houses should be at least 12 feet off the ground and face a south or southeast and it should get less than six hours of direct sunlight each day.  The house should face an open area with at least 20 feet of clearance so bats can come and go with ease. Their houses can be mounted on poles, garages, barns, chimneys and trees. But if you mount it in a tree, bats may have trouble finding it at first, but take heart they will eventually.  Insect control can be easy and almost effortless with bats on duty.

We have several different sizes of Bat houses available at New England Farm and Artist.