Bats have a historically bad reputation in popular culture. You know them as the go-to scary animal, forever associated with vampires in classics like Dracula. Don’t let the cheesy movies fool you, though- bats can be an essential component of your backyard ecosystem, and a bat house comes with worthy benefits. Let’s take a look:
Anatomy of a Bat House
So, what is a bat house, physically speaking? What about them attracts bats?
- Bat houses are made of waterproof material- typically untreated, exterior grade wood with a slanted roof to repel rain.
- They are made with an entrance at the bottom, accompanied by a horizontal grooved landing strip outside.
- They are typically dark in color, which aids in attracting them.
- Most of the time, they are at least two feet tall and almost three feet wide
- Many bat houses have multiple inner chambers split with thin dividers, so that multiple bats can stay comfortably.
- They tend to feature ventilation on the sides, to get rid of hot air and make for a comfortable environment.
Image Source: Where to get Bat house plans pdf | WD Laz
So, What Are The Benefits?
- Insect Prevention
- This is one of the main factors that influence people to purchase and install bat houses. Bats are hungrier than you think, and insects are their main diet. A large percentage of bats have the potential to eat up to 70% of their body weight in insects per night. This is up to 1200 insects per hour.
- One insect that bats find particularly tasty are mosquitoes. Installing a bat house is a good preventative measure against pesky bug bites.
- Pollination
- Bats are the number one nighttime pollinator. When bats fly through vegetation and gardens in search of bugs and nectar to eat, they carry pollen with them. This works wonders for garden and wildlife growth. Note: Most nectar-eating bats are in tropical and subtropical regions, while North American bats are predominantly insectivorous.
- Seed Spreading
- Full disclosure: bats eat both insects and nectar from plants. This means they eat fruit, including wild berries, and potentially fruit from your garden. The good news is that they won’t do nearly as much damage as the pests that they’re killing would’ve done. After eating, bat feces distributes seeds all over. This can help with rewilding and generally increasing plant growth in your area. Once again, this is mainly directed at regions which have fruit-eating bat populations.
- Fertilization
- Along with its knack for spreading seeds, bat guano is a very popular fertilizer. It boasts ideal nutrient ratios for plant growth and healthy soil.
- Bats need help!
- The final reason is less of a benefit for you, and more of a big picture idea: bats play a huge role in the ecosystems of the world, and they are in danger. A bat house provides a safe space for bats to grow and reproduce in a world where more and more habitats are destroyed every day.
Saftey
Although it may be exciting to reap the benefits of a bat house, it is highly recommended to keep your distance from the bats themselves. They are by no means aggressive creatures, but, like all wild animals, they do have the potential to carry rabies. Guano should also be handled carefully because of the pathogens it contains.
Where to Buy
Bat houses can be found at popular hardware stores like Home Depot, as well as on big websites like Amazon. There are also kits available for purchase if you’re interested in a project. There’s even some creative freedom involved, as many people paint their bat homes to be fun and spooky for Halloween. As long as you keep the colors dark, anything is possible.
If you’re interested in saving an animal that does so much for us, and bringing natural benefits to your backyard, this is the project for you!
References
#1 Bat Boxes & Bat Houses for Sale. Big Bat Box. (n.d.). https://www.bigbatbox.com/?irclickid=Wzr38xUiIxyKU6wVlnXsexZtUkCR%3A1UtQxnbTc0&irgwc=1
Bat Gardens & Houses. (n.d.). Bat Conservation International. https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/bat-gardens-houses/
Build a Bat House | NWF Native Plant Habitats. (2024). National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Habitat-Essentials/Build-a-Bat-House
Celley, C. (n.d.). Bats are one of the most important misunderstood animals | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. http://Www.fws.gov. https://www.fws.gov/story/bats-are-one-most-important-misunderstood-animals
Leave a Reply