The idea of welcoming bats to your property for natural pest management is becoming increasingly popular as homeowners seek sustainable ways to control insects. These nocturnal insectivores are a valuable addition to any yard, contributing significantly to a balanced ecosystem. Attracting a colony of bats requires understanding their habitat needs and respecting their role as wild animals. This guidance will help you successfully encourage local bat populations to take up residence and begin their nightly work.
The Direct Answer: Buying vs. Attracting
Attempting to purchase live bats for release in your yard is generally not a viable or legal option. In most jurisdictions, native bat species are protected due to their ecological importance, making their sale or transport illegal. Releasing non-native or captive-bred bats into a new environment is often unsuccessful, as they may struggle to find food or acclimate to local conditions.
The only effective strategy for having bats in your yard is to create an environment that naturally attracts established, local populations. By focusing on providing suitable roosting sites, a reliable food source, and water, you encourage existing wild bats to relocate. This process requires patience, as bats may take a year or more to discover and occupy a new habitat.
Designing and Placing a Bat House
Providing a properly designed and situated bat house is the single most effective action for attracting bats. These structures must mimic the conditions bats seek in natural roosts, specifically focusing on stable temperature and protection. The interior of the house needs to maintain a stable, warm temperature, ideally ranging between 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is particularly important for mother bats raising pups.
To maximize heat absorption, the bat house should be painted or stained a dark color, such as black or dark brown, especially in cooler climates. Position the house to receive at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, with a south- or southeast-facing orientation often proving most successful. Avoid mounting the house on trees, as the shade and potential for predator access significantly reduce the likelihood of occupancy.
The structure should be mounted on a pole or the side of a building, placed a minimum of 12 feet off the ground. This height provides a clear, unobstructed flight path for bats to drop out and begin flying. The interior surfaces must be rough, such as scored wood or plastic mesh, allowing bats a surface they can easily grip and climb. A successful bat house will also have multiple chambers, offering bats a range of temperatures to choose from.
Safety and Coexistence
Coexisting safely with bats involves understanding and minimizing the potential for human contact, as with any wild animal. The primary health concern associated with bats is rabies, though only a small percentage of the wild population carries the virus. Rabies transmission occurs through a bite or when infected saliva comes into contact with an open wound or mucous membrane.
It is imperative that you never attempt to touch or handle a bat with bare hands. If a bat is found on the ground or inside your home, it should be treated with extreme caution. A health professional should be consulted immediately if there has been any physical contact. Sick or grounded bats should be reported to animal control or a wildlife expert for safe removal and testing.
Bat droppings, known as guano, pose a separate health risk due to the potential for the fungus that causes histoplasmosis to grow in accumulated piles. This respiratory disease is contracted by inhaling airborne spores when dried guano is disturbed. Large accumulations should be cleaned using dust control measures and proper personal protective equipment, including a fitted respirator, to prevent spore inhalation.
Ecological Benefits of Yard Bats
The main motivation for attracting bats is their exceptional capacity for natural pest control. Bats are insectivores, and a single bat can consume thousands of insects in a night, often eating 50% or more of its own body weight. This appetite focuses on many common yard and agricultural pests, including moths, beetles, and mosquitoes.
This natural predation helps to reduce the populations of disease-carrying insects and crop pests. By minimizing insect populations, bats contribute to a healthier ecosystem and can help protect garden plants without the need for chemical treatments.
While insect control is the most direct benefit for homeowners, bats also contribute to other ecological processes. In certain regions, particularly tropical and desert environments, bat species are important pollinators for night-blooming plants, including the agave plant used to make tequila. Fruit-eating bats also play a role in seed dispersal, aiding in the regeneration of forests and biodiversity.