Rather than spraying chemicals, bats can control
insects naturally. One brown bat can eat 3,000 to
7,000 mosquitoes in a single evening. And mosquitoes
aren’t the only insect they eat.
Attracting bats is a great way to cut down on insects.
These winged creatures are declining in numbers in North
America because their habitats are being destroyed.
Putting up a bat house in your garden might do two
things: control your insect population and help save
the bats.
Bat houses are open at the bottom and have a roof
over the top. They’re rough inside so the critters have
something to hold onto. Each house has a few narrow
compartments, or roosting chambers, inside. These
roosting chambers are about 1 inch wide.
Bats like it warm, but not too warm. In general, if
your summer’s average high temperatures are below
95 degrees, choose a dark-colored paint. And if your
summer’s average temperatures
are 95 degrees or
higher, use a light-colored paint. Mount the house
where it will get four hours of morning sun.
Since bats tend to hang out near bodies of water,
a location within ¼ mile of a stream, pond or river
is perfect. But if you don’t live near water, don’t let it
discourage you. Hang your bat house (or a couple of
them) about 15 feet high in a sunny spot and see what
happens. Bats seem to like houses mounted on poles
or buildings better than those on trees. |
