The Bat House

A bat house occupied by bats should not be feared. Most of what you hear is myth. For instance, less than one percent of these animals contract rabies.

And as with all wild creatures, when they bite, it’s usually in self-defense (most snake bits occur on the hand—why do you suppose that is).

These flying mammals are a superb source of pest control, devouring hundreds of flying insects each night. In fact, a nursing Little Brown can eat her body weight in mosquitoes (that’s over 4,000). As importantly, look at these other “on the menu” pests:

  1. June beetles
  2. Cucumber beetles
  3. Stink Bugs
  4. Corn worm moths
  5. Leafhoppers
Why should you put up a bat box? Well, as already stated, you’ll have a natural mosquito control mechanism. But more importantly, up to 40% of all bat species in America are threatened or endangered.

Providing a box will help rejuvenate declining populations as humans destroy more and more natural habitat. As natural sites decline, a box will be used for:

  1. Roosting
  2. Hibernation
  3. The raising of young. This is the most frequent use of a bat house.

Which species are most likely to take you up on a bat box offering?

  • Big Brown Bat
  • Little Brown Bat
  • Eastern Pipestrelle
  • Eastern Long-eared bat (less likely)

There is lots of discussion about the optimal placement of bat boxes. There’s not much more to do than properly place the box. Bats find boxes by sight and if needed, they’ll use it. Could be tomorrow, could be two years from now.

Keep in mind that bats in the north migrate south in the winter, often using caves and mines for hibernation. Research suggests the following as optimal placement of a bat house:

  • Mount the box at least 15 feet above the ground. In fact, the higher the better.
  • Eight hours of sun is optimal. The box should face south or southeast.
  • A box placed 20’ away from trees will be occupied twice as quickly as those in wooded areas.

Box boxes do not require perches and should be simple rather than fancy. A key element is grooves embedded in or grid attached to the back of the box. Bats will use this to cling.

Good luck!



I hope you found this article about bats and the bat house useful. Click here for more great information about bird feeders and bird houses.

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