Anyone have Bats for Pets??

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

A lot of years ago I found a bat on top of a wooden enclosure. This was at the edge of the woods in my back yard. There had been extreme wind the night before so I felt it had blown out of it's home.

I was worried my cats would get it so I put on a pair of gloves and got it.It was very interesting. At the upper part of the wings it had claw like hooks for like holding on. It "held on my gloves" with those hook/claws and I had a hard time holding it with one hand and getting it loose.

I decided that since it was Sun. and I couldn't reach my vet for advice to just take it far into the woods and put it on a fallen log.

I remember about 20 yrs. ago when I still thought bats were creepy my BFF told me she ordered a bat house. I truly thought she was out of her mind.

She educated me and it was very soon after I ordered myself a bat house.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Awwwww. Sweet story. I never heard of bat houses until now. I think I want a bat house. I could put it in the woods away from the chicken houses and just visit it once a week.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

I had a friend that could climb like a monkey. He hung my bat house on a tree. I noticed years later the bat house was way up because the tree had grown.
Finally it fell out but I never got it rehung.

Where ever you put it be sure the area of the entrance is open rather than a bunch of tree limbs blocking it. You will enjoy. Also if you have a choice of near a light that stays on at night is a good choice.

 

[pinkfoxfarm]

belive me kuntry girl, there are plenty of bats around you, its just they are incredbly fast and being they only come out around dusk its often very hard to see them unless your sat still looking for them for a while...they just look like black blobs flitting around and are often mistaken for birds!

 

[Kassaundra]

If you sit and watch a street light especially in an area where there isn't a lot of them you will see them in and out of the light catching the bugs that swarm around the light.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

These are Florida resources, but I'm willing to bet that Louisiana would be pretty similar.

Effective Bat Houses for Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw290

Insect Pest Management Services Provided by Bats
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw289

Bats of Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw203

Conservation of Bats in Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw291

My kid's 4-H club did their club project on Florida wildlife last year and this year they are in the county wildlife club. We've had a lady involved in the local bat conservation effort come out to speak with them and they went to the Lubee Bat Festival last weekend so we've hat bats in our belfries for some time now. We even bought a bat house but I haven't decided where I want to mount it yet. I often see our local bats flying around in the early evening just as it starts to get good dark.

If you own acreage one of the things you can do (where it's safe) is to leave your standing deadwood in place. This encourages both your local bat and woodpecker populations. Bats will often nest in cavities in dead trees.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Is that what I've been seeing? WOW !! I think I saw some.

 

[chickbea]

I can't imagine any state would allow a bat to be kept as a pet. Most bats are communal animals and live in colonies of hundreds, thousands, or even more!
I'm glad you think bats are cool - they are! I wish more people thought that way. They are fascinating.
Perhaps you could find a wildlife rehabber in your area who would let you help out with whatever bats they get in.

 

[kuntrygirl]

A.T. Hagan :

These are Florida resources, but I'm willing to bet that Louisiana would be pretty similar.

Effective Bat Houses for Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw290

Insect Pest Management Services Provided by Bats
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw289

Bats of Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw203

Conservation of Bats in Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw291

My kid's 4-H club did their club project on Florida wildlife last year and this year they are in the county wildlife club. We've had a lady involved in the local bat conservation effort come out to speak with them and they went to the Lubee Bat Festival last weekend so we've hat bats in our belfries for some time now. We even bought a bat house but I haven't decided where I want to mount it yet. I often see our local bats flying around in the early evening just as it starts to get good dark.

If you own acreage one of the things you can do (where it's safe) is to leave your standing deadwood in place. This encourages both your local bat and woodpecker populations. Bats will often nest in cavities in dead trees.

Great information. I'm getting excited about these bat houses. When you put up your bat house, can you take a pic please and post it. I would love to see it.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
That is an excellent idea. They are beautiful and fascinating creatures.