Bats

[muzzlebrake]

Anybody provide housing for these furry little carnivores? I have heard they can eat more bugs and skeeters than a purple martin. I put this little hotel up today. It's supposed to hold up to 300 Little Brown Bats or Free Tail Bats.
Been seeing some flit around the backyard late in the evening so we will see if they like the new digs.

[eaglegolfj]

been wanting to for quite a while now

[Deb]

We are going to put up some bat houses.

[Draco]

Actually, purple martins don't feed on mosquitos but the bats sure do.

[HoustonR6ryda]

put it where you dont mind the droppings

[Thumper]

put it where you dont mind the droppings

Or sick bats hopping around.

[muzzlebrake]

We are going to put up some bat houses.

You should get some of the overflow from Congress Street bridge.
Ya'll got just a few (6 million) freetails down there. Largest colony up here is estimated 10,000 in a parking garage downtown Ft. Worth.
I already have a few flying around the backyard right at dusk so maybe they will hang out a while and help keep the bugs off of my fruit trees.

[Birddog66]

I like the idea. I see them above my backyard every night in the summer. I'm pretty sure it's the bats from a bride in Round Rock. I've seen them come out of my attic vent in the evenings too.

[T/Chmr]

Just make sure you have no openings around the eves of your house....you definitely don't want them in your attic

[muzzlebrake]

Interesting stuff on Bats:
How do Bats Help People?

INSECT CONTROL!

All bats in the United States and United Kingdom eat insects. A little more than 70% of all bat species (world-wide) specialize in eating bugs.
Insect eating bats can consume between 2,000-6,000 beetles, flying ants, mayflies, worms, mosquitos, and moths each night.
A single bat has been known to eat 1,200 mosquitoes and gnats in an hour!
A bat can eat 1/3 of its total body weight in just a half hour of foraging.
This not only eliminates bugs but it helps people reduce the amount of dangerous pesticides we have to use on crops we eat.

POLLINATION AND SEED DISPERSAL

They pollinate literally thousands and thousands of flowers and plants, by landing, flying and moving seeds around. More than 80 types of medicines and 450 products (food, clothing) are brought to use via bats pollinating plants and relocating seeds!
Agave plants, which are used to make Tequila, have had their seed production drop to 1/3,000th of normal without bats present to pollinate them.
Among other plants, bananas, bread-fruit, mangoes, cashews and other nuts, dates and figs all rely on bats to pollinate them and spread their seeds.
Fruit bats, such as the Flying Fox, are responsible for more than 95% of all seed dispersal in the tropical rain forests of Eastern Africa and Australia.
Desert cacti (such as the Organ Pipe and Saguaro) rely on bats to pollinate them.

GUANO??

Bat poop, called guano, is nutrient rich and one of the best fertilizers in the world for planting!
Guano can be used as soil builder, lawn treatment, fungicide and to speed up the process of decomposition in compost.

Rabies

Less than 0.5% of bats have rabies. Raccoons are actually the wild animal that most commonly gets infected with rabies in the United States.
Each year in the United States, one person (on average) dies of this disease. In 2007, one person died of rabies in the USA.
You have a much higher chance of getting rabies from a dog than a bat.
If a bat does catch rabies, it is usually "dumb rabies" - meaning they will look for a place to hide and die, rather than search out 'victims' to infect.
When a bat becomes infected with rabies, it will die within 10 days, if not treated.
Since 1960 there have been only 40 cases of people getting rabies from bats.
The Hawaiian Hoary Bat is a small, insect-eating species that lives in Hawaii. There has never been a single reported case of rabies (in animals or people!) in Hawaii, even though bats, dogs, and many other animals are present there.
When a bat has rabies, it often displays unusual behavior – such as coming out into sunlight and walking on the ground, instead of flying.

Rabid bats – and bats in general – will not generally bite a human unless provoked or severely frightened.

Many times, rabid bats will be shunned from the rest of the colony. The other bats can no doubt sense something is wrong with one of their roostmates.

[Arrowflinger84]

Interesting

[The Crippler]

I'm pretty sure it's the bats from a bride in Round Rock.

Wait, what

[Birddog66]

Thanks muzzlebrake.

I really enjoy watching them from the comforts of my backyard with a cold brew. If you didn't pay attention you would think they are birds.

[Birddog66]

Wait, what

Ha! bridge

[BowCrazy]

Where did you get your "Bat Hotel"?

Looks good.