There's a BAT in my house!

[redhen]

Quote:
Thanks Nancy! Our next door neighbor actually has one..We showed them it (it was left from a past owner) and we helped them clean it up..(it had a wasps nest in it) and my hubby painted it black to keep it warmer for them and everything....but, none came again this summer!

We used to have ALOT of them...up until about 2 years ago...

We live by water and the mosquitoes are big enough now to carry off my chickens!

I miss the bats!

 

[NancyDz]

Redhen,

Did you see this?

I already have a bat house and have had no luck, what's wrong?It is not uncommon for a bat house to go unoccupied for months or even years, although the average time for first occupancy is 6 to 12 months. If you feel that the timeline has become excessive, it could be due to the house not being mounted in a good location, direction, height or it may even be a poor design. Be wary of bat houses that seem small, offer no ventilation or do not have screened/grooved surfaces giving proper foot holds (roughed wood alone is not an adequate surface). If you have already purchased a bat house that you suspect is a poor design, try modifying the house by adding the above recommendations.

Instructions for Mounting a Bat House

LOCATION and PLACEMENT: For best results in gaining occupants for your bat house, choose an area that is 60 feet or more from trees and within ¼ mile of a body of water such as creek, pond or lake.

When choosing a direction to face the house (in the continental U.S.) results show that southwest facing houses do better than those facing other directions.

The higher you place your house the better. Preferably 15 to 25 feet​

 

[redhen]

Quote:

Instructions for Mounting a Bat House

LOCATION and PLACEMENT: For best results in gaining occupants for your bat house, choose an area that is 60 feet or more from trees and within ¼ mile of a body of water such as creek, pond or lake.

When choosing a direction to face the house (in the continental U.S.) results show that southwest facing houses do better than those facing other directions.

The higher you place your house the better. Preferably 15 to 25 feet
​

Thanks again!

I'll take a pic/video of it tomorrow...maybe you can let me know what you think??

 

[NancyDz]

Okay sounds good. I'd like to see it anyway

 

[anngili]

There's also a lot of information at Bat Conservation International's website: http://www.batcon.org/

 

[EweSheep]

I had that encounter several years ago and scared the crap out of me. I thought it was a bird and it was panicking around the rooms trying to get out. Finally I shut it in my bedroom and let my hubby come in and take the bat outside (with gloves, of course and a towel). I had a good look at it and it is a beautiful bat with ugly face. So we let it outside and off he went. when my mother found out, she said I should kill it and I told her no, bats have their purposes and no they do not feed on humans on a whim.

And another bat in our house about two months ago, dead inside of our furnace which I dont know how it got there. It was not dead stiff either but neverthanless it was dead. Poor thing did not know how to get out of the furnance. Our chimney are well fenced out from pigeons and birds and of course, bats. I dont know where else they could have gotten into.

In due time, hubby will build a bat house. Mostiquoes are horrible this year.

 

[Whispering Winds]

I have a bat house that I don't have up yet, and want too so badly. I LOVE bats, they are the neatest creatures, rabies or not. There were 13 reported in Il. that tested postive for rabies, but I still love them. We have them here and I just love to watch them in the dusky sky, they are so graceful.

 

[DuckLady]

I saw the title and thought my MIL was visiting you.

We have bats here, too. At dusk, I see them swooping from the roof.
We are waiting for the end of bat season and will close up the rest of the soffits on the house (we just moved here in April) and will build bat houses for next year. I want them around, just not in my attics.

If I am out after dark, they dive bomb me. I think they are curious little critters who are not eating anough skeeters IMO.