Subject: Re: Bats

From: [email-masked] (Bill McClain)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 16:00:55 -0600

Tom Lemmen <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Hi:
> My wife bought me this "bat house" after she saw
> a program on Public TV that said how huge
> an amount of insects bats can eat everyday.
>
> I put the damn thing up real high (like the
> instructions said) but Still no residents.
>
> It's up on my TV tower,  about 25 feet off the ground.
> There is a light underneath it that attracts bugs
> and I see bats flyin' around there every night.
>
> ANybody got any insights to this problem??

I've been told that it may take quite some time to attract bats. They
like to be quite hot during the day, and an eastern exposure for the
house is recommended.

I cannot vouch for this, but I have also been advised that spreading bat
poop under the box will lure them. Makes the site seem more "home-like".

Try Bat Conservation International:

        http://www.hipark.austin.isd.tenet.edu/bat/main.html

-Bill

---

From: [email-masked] (MDMoss)
Date: 26 Jul 1995 17:59:20 -0400

Hi Tom,

I have read mixed reviews concerning the effectiveness of bat houses.  My
neighbor has one, but it does not seem to work.  However, I have had great
success in attracting backs by simply using my outside flood light.  The
light attracts the neighborhood insects which in turn attract the bats, as
you have observed.   I also planted a bat garden.  Not really sure if the
garden has had any effect though, but it sure looks nice.  So, as long as
bats are in the area, I'm not sure that providing housing is really all
that necessary.  If you provide a good hunting area, they will likely find
suitable housing on their own.

Good luck,

mike moss
economist
[email-masked]