Bat Houses – Why You Should Build a Bat House in Your Backyard

 Build bat houses in your backyard and not only will you be helping an endangered species, you will also be improving the health of your own garden!  Believe it or not, bats are not as threatening as they sometimes appear in images and photographs. 

There are 1,000 known species of bats worldwide, some of the more common ones being the little brown bat, the big brown bat, the hoary bat, and the red bat.  These bats, along with the hundreds of others, are actually quite strikingly colored and are not as intimidating as many of us think.  Additionally, when you build a bat house you will discover that bat colonies are an ecologically friendly alternative to pesticides.  Their droppings are an excellent fertilizer as they are rich in nitrogen and a single brown bat can consume up to 600 mosquitoes in one hour! 

Build a bat dwelling in your backyard and you will see that bats are in fact fascinating animals.  Unfortunately they are quickly disappearing, as nearly two dozen species are being threatened with extinction in North America and the United States due to deforestation and environmental toxins.  Furthermore nearly 40 percent of bat species are on the federal endangered list or are quickly becoming candidates for it. 

Bats Are Actually Cute And Shy Little Animals That Need Our Protection

Before erecting a bat box, many people question its safety because of the negative stigma attached to bats.  A house for bats however, is extremely safe!  In fact, bats are particularly shy animals and prefer to stay away from people and other animals.  More common is the harm that humans cause to bats.  Millions are killed each year as a result of poor treatment or disrespect from people. 

Like all mammals, bats can contract rabies, but very few of them (less that one half percent) actually do.  Even when rabid, bats rarely become aggressive and the chance of them harming anything is extremely remote, especially if they are not handled.       

When you decide to build a bat box or around your house, bear in mind the following things:  successful houses flourish when placed near a permanent source of water (a stream is the most preferable.)  As well, bat colonies prefer temperatures from 80 to 100 degrees and bat boxes should receive several hours of sunshine everyday. 

Best of all bats make great neighbors! They are very clean, and will not be disrupted by pets of children. And for us bird lovers it is also wonderful to know that bats will not interfere with backyard birds. Always be sure to check online garden and critter stores for the best selection and prices on bat boxes anywhere.

A bat residence can be erected on trees, on free-standing poles or onto the side of a building, but must always be mounted approximately 20 feet above ground.   So take the time to see how helpful bats can be to our environment and start enjoying a new addition to your backyard!

Bat Houses at ABirdsWorld.com -
Abirdsworld.com carries a really good collection of many types of bat houses at great prices!

The "Ultimate" Bat House at Yardiac.com
Yardiac.com carries a bat house called the Ultimate bat house, it houses up to 25 bats!