How to Use Bats for Bug Control

Despite what a lifetime of horror movies have shown you, bats live on insects and fruit, not on blood sucked from the necks of humans. In fact, a few bats around the house can be extremely useful in controlling pests like moths and mosquitoes. Each bat can eat hundreds or thousands of insects each night, often without your noticing they are even flying about.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bat houses
• Poles on which to mount bat houses

1. Buy or build bat houses. If building your own bat house, take care to build it according to the specifications in the plan you use. Bats are particular about their roosting spaces.

2. Place your bat houses correctly. Bats won't use houses mounted on trees or vinyl siding, but they will use those mounted on poles, hung under the eaves of your house or mounted on stone or brick walls.

3. Protect your bat house from the elements and predators. Bat houses should be exposed to full sunlight for much of the day. Rain getting inside will cause bats to abandon the house. Mount the houses high enough to keep squirrels and other small animals from getting inside.

4. Clean out any wasps that move into the bat house when it's empty.

Tips & Warnings

• No matter how well you build and place your bat houses, they won't live in them if they're more than a quarter mile from a body of water.
• Although bats generally do not harm or harass humans, they will bite out of self-defense and they are vulnerable to rabies. Never handle a bat, particularly if it is sick or dead.
• Take steps to prevent bats from roosting in your attic or under the eaves of your house. Sharing your home with bats is hazardous because of the contaminants and microorganisms that are present in their guano.

Resources

• Learn more about bats and how they can help you at Bat Conservation International.