Does anyone have bat houses?

[gritsar]

I've been wanting some for the longest time. If you do have them, have you seen an effectiveness against mosquitos and other irritating insects since you've had them up? I guess another important question to ask: Is there any reason why I shouldn't put out bat houses if I am going to keep chickens? I don't think there would be a conflict seeing how bats are nocturnal and my chooks will be shut up in their coop at night; but it never hurts to ask.
Also, I know all about bats and rabies. I have done my homework. According to the CDC, a bat with rabies is going to exhibit very non-bat behavior, such as being out during the daytime and being approachable, and common sense would tell me to steer clear of any bat that acted like that anyhow.

 

[Pinenot]

My son made 2 houses for bats. We have seen bats swoop near our barn light but never have we seen any bats come or go out of those houses. I read that I need to find bat guano and attach it to the house to attract them. I just don't know where to find the poo???

Good Luck!

 

[theOEGBman]

That's so cool! I love bats. No bat houses here, but I want to set some up once I get out on my own. I want owl nest boxes too,lol.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Iforgot what side you should have them on. There is stuff to put on the bat houses on ebay. I think its bat pee or something. I have been signed on batcon.org for over 10 years

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I have had one for years on the side of my shed, hoping that bats would move in and eat all the mosquitos! What I have learned is that the bat house needs to be really high and better if on a pole so they can find it better with their sonar?. I have also heard some people say that it needs to be facing where it gets morning sun...then again, people have bats living in dark garages so may not be true but no bats have ever moved into mine ;(

 

[Kaneke]

haven't seen that much reduction in mosquitoes with the bat house up -- because that's not their favorite food, they like something bigger and juicier, like moths ... and mosquitoes are more diurnal, bats more nocturnal ... not that many skeeters out at dawn & dusk ... here at least ... too moist

however, I noticed far less of the garden got eaten by pesky bugs ... just dadratted slugs ... am getting some DE for those ! our local Del's Farm Supply carries that, in 50# bags but it's the nice food grade white stuff ... had just gotten some on Maui because (YAY) there is a Del's there ...

siting the bat house is kinda the problem, unless you have a barn --LOL --- since you want the bottom of the bat house 12 feet or so, up, with an unobstructed flight path, nothing nearby where predators can perch, and it needs sun for most of the day, to be warm enough for bats

but bats were already using the hangar rafters, so I thought if I put the bat house up, they wouldn't be displaced when we put the door on the open side ... then our neighbor to the west cut the trees that were shading the west gable of our hangar, so we're going to be building and putting a bigger bat house on that side this spring, more of a "nursery house" since heavy logging in the area has drastically reduced bat breeding habitat

I'd say bats and chickens are a great deal for organic gardeners, both of them emit poo/guano which is great to get compost bins really WORKING ...

no, you don't want to smear the bat houses with anything, what you want is either NO odor, or the odor of weathered wood ... something as close as you can get to dead-tree-with-bark which is the preferred bat habitat around here ... so you don't use NEW wood to build the bat house, but rather old weathered wood that's been outside for a time ... and you air it out after you paint the outside a dark color -- some people report that they get bats using the houses sooner if they fill the house with dirt for a few days, then carefully brush it out ... and make sure it's dry

Candy

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Maybe I'll get motivated to get a new one and put it up on a pole. If they wont go on the misquitos, we have plenty of other flying bugs for them to chow on, loL! ...course maybe I'll let Grits work the kinks out first and tell me how she puts hers up, and where and whether or not the bats come... kanekes yours will probably move to the side of the barn where the trees are gone from, pretty easy for you!theOEGBman you need to tell us about owl houses, never heard of that!....and good luck with that bat poo search pinenot, lol!!!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Here is what I was talking about. Its worth a try


http://cgi.ebay.com/BAT-SCENT-Attra...ryZ43532QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[AhBee01]

We have one but it is not up yet!
If you want skeeter control, try Muscovy ducks, I have seen a big difference since we got out ducks! When the ducklings are a few months old the are bug eating machines!
Will eat some flies too!
Brenda

 

[Pinenot]

There is a place I can buy poo. I just need to do it.
You also have to put the box to the south on a high side of a building. It also needs to be painted black. Get ya soom poo, it work, I have been told, every time