America?s bats are an invaluable natural resource. Yet due to decades of unwarranted human fear and persecution, bats are in alarming decline. By putting up a bat house you are helping our bats find a home. You will also benefit from having fewer yard and garden pests and will enjoy learning about bats and sharing your knowledge with friends and family.
As the primary predators of night-flying insects, bats play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. And, as consumers of vast numbers of pests, they rank among humanity?s most valuable allies. A single little brown bat can catch hundreds of mosquitoe-sized insects an hour, and a typical colony of big brown bats can protect local farmers from the costly attacks of 18 million root-worms each summer.
Bats are not blind, and are actually very clean animals. They do not get caught in peoples? hair or eat through the attic of your house. Bats will not interfere with feeding backyard birds, and they will not be disrupted by pets or children.
Not all bat houses are built properly. Short stout houses tend to have little chance of attracting bats, where longer, wider houses are working quite well. Notice below how tall and wide the bat house in this photo is. Where older designs only have about a 10% occupancy rate, this design is enjoying an 80% occupancy rate. Pretty impressive!
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