Saturday, September 10, 2011

Bats

Did you know that bats are the only true mammal that flies? They like to live near areas of water where insects are prevalent. One species, the brown bat, can eat 600 to 1,000 mosquitoes in just one hours time. Bats fly much higher than birds, some species fly up to 10,000 feet high. All bats are nocturnal.


To discourage bats from entering your home, plug entrance holes or potential entrance holes. If bats have taken up residence in your home, make sure you plug the entrance after they leave at night. Putting up a bat house is a good way to house bats and still keep them in your yard.


Place a bathouse on the east or southeast side of a pole, tree or building and make sure the bathouse is at least 15 feet from the ground. Placing them by a water source is ideal. Bathouses do not have to be cleaned out. Don't get discouraged if you do not get any bats "right off the bat", sometimes it takes a couple of years before bats start to use a bathouse.