Bats .... the more ... the merrier?

[stevej37]

They are all over the place around here in the evenings. Anyone put up a bat house?
Do they work?

[fanaudical]

I have several that show up in the evenings to take the bugs out of the air above my house. No bat houses nearby, the bats just roost in the tall trees. There is a state park SW of here that has several bat houses; those seem to work.

[Evans, Marv]

I have one, but I don't think any bats use it. We don't have a lot of bugs flying around here. If I'm outside at dusk, I usually only see maybe one bat. I fee sorry for them trying to get a meal.

[Yorkie]

Be prepared for bat poop. We have them living all around us and they keep the mosquito population in check but Man do they poop everywhere! At the end of the summer season I have to pick it off the walls and power scrub the decks. But I wouldn’t want to be without them as plagues of mosquitoes are way worse.

[KFC911]

LOL ... I can't help but notice 'em when I'm out on my deck at 6am either .... then they're "poof... gone" ... by daylight... into the woods.

Had 'em in my attic decades ago .... I turned into Batman ....

Bats .... good.... yep!

Bots in yer attic always suck....

[id10t]

Yup, they work... and yes, bats > bugs

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/bats/

Includes link to view inside the bat house - check sunset times for N Florida to catch 'em leaving...

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Be prepared for bat poop. We have them living all around us and they keep the mosquito population in check but Man do they poop everywhere! At the end of the summer season I have to pick it off the walls and power scrub the decks. But I wouldn’t want to be without them as plagues of mosquitoes are way worse.

Yeah, I hadn't really thought of the mess they can make. I might re-think the bat house.

[oldE]

A year ago I put together a kit so my granddaughter could build a bat house. Around here the bat population was devastated by white nose disease. It will take years for the population to recover. We haven't seen any signs of habitation yet, but we are hopeful.

Best
Les

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Yeah, I hadn't really thought of the mess they can make. I might re-think the bat house.

Many years ago, I'd wanted to get a bat house (lived in an area with bats and lots of mosquitos), but I came to the same decision. There are very particular placement guidelines for bat houses, and the place that would fit for where we lived at the time was going to end up putting the guano on the roof of our back porch. So I changed my mind.

[Cairo94507]

We have a bat that lives in our covered patio. I installed a nice bat house for him/her.

[masraum]

I can tell you that there is a bridge in Houston that is supposed to have about 250k bats that live under it. There's a sidewalk that goes under the bridge. You do at times feel tiny drops as you go under the bridge. Despite the amount of bats, the ground isn't "wet" with guano. Presumably, a bunch of the bats live towards the middle of the bridge which is over a bayou. There's a traffic light near the bridge (20-30' from the end) and certain times of the year (summer mostly) you can smell the guano from your car if you're at the light. It's not too bad/strong, not really a poop smell.

If I was going to have a bat house, I'd want it away from my house if possible, maybe up in a tree in the yard.

We're lucky in our new place that we have a slew of barn swallows that take care of mosquitos.

[Evans, Marv]

I have a bat that sleeps on the timbers of my patio. I can never catch it there to scare it away and disuade it from sleeping there. It isn't there during the day or evening, when I go out to shine a light, but there is poop on the patio. I'm thinking of getting one of those sonic plug ins to see is that works. Other than that, I'm thinking of spraying the sleeping place with amonia. Anybody have any ideas about those things?

[Steve Carlton]

I have them in my Bat Cave. The poop easily rinses off the floor with a hose. Robin cleans off the car if there's a poop on it.

[Tidybuoy]

I put up a bat house about 15 years ago. I never got a single bat in it. I don't think I have a good place for it. I do have bats at night but not swarms of them.

[911boost]

I have one that lives in the fake shutters on the second floor of my house above the front door. I never have mosquitos so I do not want to bother it. I clean the poop up a few times a week.

I have thought of building one of those small houses too.

[ckcarr]

I get bats every night in my front entryway (outdoors). They come in to rest and chow down on hummingbird moths that like my garden flowers. Or they just hang on the stucco looking down. Every morning the walk is covered with hummingbird moth wings and bat poop. Yes, beneficial and federally protected. But little mess makers in the wrong place. Fortunately it's not year round, they are seasonal, and will be gone by October.

I thought of a bat house, but it would be a waste of money, they like caves and stuff here.


You sure it's just one? It's not like I can tell any apart.

Originally Posted by 911boost

I have one that lives in the fake shutters on the second floor of my house above the front door. I never have mosquitos so I do not want to bother it. I clean the poop up a few times a week.

I have thought of building one of those small houses too.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by 911boost

I have one that lives in the fake shutters on the second floor of my house above the front door. I never have mosquitos so I do not want to bother it. I clean the poop up a few times a week.

I have thought of building one of those small houses too.

That reminds me of several years back, when I decided to remove and paint my shutters. (sun had faded them) The ones on the second story required an extension ladder.

I was about 16 feet up and yanking on one to remove it. (they were held on by clips) when it finally came loose and a bat flew out right towards my face.
I don't know how I maintained my grip on the ladder with one hand.

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL... bat poop wasn't even noticable eh?

I spotted a few poops below my garage attic screened vent decades ago. Went out about 8:45 one evening and watched... 1 ... then another.... flew out... within a few minutes 30+ .... I counted them suckerz... amazed.

They were entering/exiting in a 1/2" gap at the bottom of the screen.

Batman to the rescue.... not in my attic... nope!

[stevej37]

^^^ There's not much room to run like a little baby when on an extension ladder.

I would've if I could've.

[stevej37]