Bug Eaters Finally Show Up

[AllByteNoBark]

We put up a bat house 2 1/2 years ago and all we had for residence were wasp. I checked it about a month ago and nothing but the wasp nest. Last night I was setting on the patio and saw we had occupants. So tonight the wife and I went out to the shooting bench that is near the pole holding the house and I shot a video. Now if they will just eat all the bugs and stay in their habitat I will be happy.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Very cool. Any idea how many bats you have in it? Post some close up pics of it. I have wanted to build one for my property. We have bats naturally and I would like to attract more.

 

[jcummins]

Good gosh. How many can stuff into that house. Looked like a lot. I ought to put one of those up.

Where are you located.

 

[dfkrug]

We put up a bat house 2 1/2 years ago and all we had for residence were wasp.

That's great.

I put up a bat house like that, up on a pole, but it has never been occupied. That was 7 or 8 years ago. There are so many bats around here that, on a summer night, if I close the big umbrella on the deck, it will get bats hanging in there by morning.

 

[Oaktree]

I haven't seen any bats around here in quite a while...apparently the breed that we have is susceptable to some sort of disease, and they all just disappeared about 10 years ago. Too bad, they really kept the mosquito population down.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Very cool. Any idea how many bats you have in it? Post some close up pics of it. I have wanted to build one for my property. We have bats naturally and I would like to attract more.

I will try to get some close up photos or find where I bought the houses. Normally I would have made them but was busy with a new house and shop at the time.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Good gosh. How many can stuff into that house. Looked like a lot. I ought to put one of those up.

Where are you located.

There are actually two bat houses on the pole. They are on opposite sides of the pole, and each one is supposed to hold up to 250 bats. We are located in South Texas. It has to get really hot in there during the daylight hours but they must like it.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

That's great.

I put up a bat house like that, up on a pole, but it has never been occupied. That was 7 or 8 years ago. There are so many bats around here that, on a summer night, if I close the big umbrella on the deck, it will get bats hanging in there by morning.

Was pleasantly surprised when I saw they had moved in. One thing they told me was important was to get it pretty high in the air. This one is around 20 feet high. I thought the wasp might keep them away but I guess not.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Very cool. Any idea how many bats you have in it? Post some close up pics of it. I have wanted to build one for my property. We have bats naturally and I would like to attract more.

Here is a link to the bat houses on the pole.
BestNest Triple-Celled Bat House, 250 bats at BestNest.com

 

[kenmbz]

This one lives in a vent near where he was photographed.
How do I get it out to a bat box without hurting it?
Any good bat box designs?

 

[dfkrug]

Was pleasantly surprised when I saw they had moved in. One thing they told me was important was to get it pretty high in the air. This one is around 20 feet high. I thought the wasp might keep them away but I guess not.

I suspect the wasps were just breakfast for them.

Yes, my bat book says they prefer very high houses. I have also seen that they really like vertical surfaces, like the side of your barn, as a mounting surface for a bat house.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

View attachment 660102This one lives in a vent near where he was photographed.
How do I get it out to a bat box without hurting it?
Any good bat box designs?

I really do not know. We had bats in the soffit on a previous house. I found the place they were going in and out and attached some heavy plastic over it. They could still get out but could not get back in. Then after a few days I took the plastic down and sealed the gap they were going in. That house was in heavy timber with a lot of shag bark hickory trees. That seemed to be a favorite of the bats in that area.

Lots of bat house plans on the Internet.

Try: bat house plans - Google Search

 

[Gem99ultra]

Very interesting 4 1/2 minutes of looking at your 'bat house' on a pole. (NOT) Or are my eyes just bad? Excuse me, that comment was ugly. Sorry.

Either way, I'd be surprised if bats select your dwelling being so out in the opening. I've had the best luck mounting bat houses up in trees. I have one on the side of a storage building had been absolutely empty for 6 years now. Those mounted up in pine trees have usually been occupied within 2 years. I'm assuming that you do have interior posts, probably dowel rods, added for easy hanging?

I sincerely do wish you the best of luck though. Having bats around my place has provided a mosquito free area although in the middle of an area with creeks, ponds everywhere, and other inviting places for mosquitoes to thrive. Now... if only bats would eat ticks, I'd be thrilled beyond belief.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Haha, you must have watched it on your phone or a smaller sized screen. If you watch it on a larger screen it shows the bats coming out. My wife says there were 113 of them during the time we videoed. Just glad to have them find the house.

Actually here the bats we have want something in the open and high. I was told if I put it in a tree they would not use it. As I am not a bat expert I went with what the experts told me.

Yes, bats will eat a LOT of mosquitoes, and I really dislike mosquitoes. Yes eating ticks would be a benefit, I think you need Guineas for that.

 

[jcummins]

And the lack of coyotes, coons, owls, hawks and eagles which eat the guineas.