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Northeastern United
States
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Big brown
bats commonly use bat houses in
the Northeastern U.S.
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Where you mount your
bat house plays a major role in the internal
temperature. Houses can be mounted on such structures
as poles, sides of buildings and tall trees without
obstructions. Houses placed on poles and structures
tend to become occupied quicker than houses placed on
trees. Bat houses should face south to southeast to
take advantage of the morning sun. In northern states
and Canada, bat houses need to receive at least 6 to
8 hours of direct sunlight. It is also advantageous
to paint the house black to absorb plenty of heat
(when baby bats are born, they need it very warm).
Use non-toxic, latex paint to paint your bat house
and only paint the outside. Your bat house should be
mounted at least 15 feet above the ground, the higher
the house the greater the chance of attracting bats.
Bats return from migration and awaken from
hibernation as early as March in most of the U.S.,
but stay active year-round in the extreme southern
U.S. They will be abundant through out the summer and
into late fall. Most houses used by bats are occupied
in the first 1 to 6 months (during the first summer
the bat house was erected). If bats do not roost in
your house by the end of the second summer, move the
house to another location.
What types of bats
can I expect to see in my bat house in the
Northeastern states?
Throughout the
northern two-thirds of the U.S. and Canada, the
Little Brown Bat (Myotis launchings) and the
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) use bat
houses. They can also inhabit the Southeast, but are
generally replaced by the South-eastern Bat
(Myotis Australia). Pallid Bats (Antrozous
pallidus) are found in arid areas. The Evening
Bat (Nycticeius humeralis), Eastern Pipistrelle
(Pipistrellus subflavus), Yuma myotis (Myotis
yumanensis) and the Mexican Free-tailed Bat
(Tadarida brasiliensis) will also use bat
houses. Any bats that roost in crevices or under
bridges and in buildings are likely tenants for bat
houses. For more information on identifying bats
check out
"Stokes Beginners Guide to Bat
Identification."
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Northwestern United
States
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Pallid bats
may be seen in bat houses in
the Northwestern U.S.
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In Northwestern
states, bat houses need at least six to eight hours
of direct sun daily. It is very important for
nursery colonies to raise their young under warm
conditions. You should even paint your bat house
black to absorb more heat. Use a non-toxic, latex
paint for your house and only paint the outside.
Remember that where you mount your bat house plays
a major role in the internal temperature. Houses
can be mounted on such structures as poles, sides
of buildings and tall trees without obstructions.
Houses placed on poles and structures tend to
become occupied quicker than houses placed on
trees. Houses should face south to southeast to
take advantage of the morning sun. Your bat house
should be mounted at least 15 feet above the
ground, the higher the house the greater the chance
of attracting bats. Bats return from migration and
awaken from hibernation as early as March in most
of the U.S., but stay active year-round in the
extreme southern U.S. They will be abundant through
out the summer and into late fall. Most houses used
by bats are occupied in the first 1 to 6 months
(during the first summer the bat house was
erected). If bats do not roost in your house by the
end of the second summer, move the house to another
location.
What types of
bats can I expect to see in my bat house in the
Northwestern states?
Some of the
most common bat species to occupy bat houses in
northwestern states are as followed: pallid bat
(Antrozous pallidus) a large pale colored
bat with large ears, little brown bat (Myotis
lucifugus), big brown bat (Eptesicus
fuscus), Yuma myotis (Myotis
yumanensis), and Mexican free-tailed bat
(Tadarida brasiliensis), all of which are
light to dark brown in color. For more information
on identifying bats check out
"Stokes Beginners Guide to Bat
Identification."
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Southeastern United
States
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Brazilian
free-tailed bats may be found in bat houses
in the Southeastern U.S.
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In southeastern
states you can attract certain bats species if the
house is placed in total sun, other species prefer
partial sun, and some bats use bat houses placed in
total shade. You can paint your bat house white, or
leave it a natural color. If you paint your bat
house, use a non-toxic, latex paint and only paint
the outside of the house. Remember that where you
mount your bat house plays a major role in the
internal temperature. Houses can be mounted on such
structures as poles, sides of buildings and tall
trees without obstructions. Houses placed on poles
and structures tend to become occupied quicker than
houses placed on trees. Houses should face south to
southeast to take advantage of the morning sun.
Your bat house should be mounted at least 15 feet
above the ground, the higher the house the greater
the chance of attracting bats. Bats return from
migration and awaken from hibernation as early as
March in most of the U.S., but stay active
year-round in the extreme southern U.S. They will
be abundant through out the summer and into late
fall. Most houses used by bats are occupied in the
first 1 to 6 months (during the first summer the
bat house was erected). If bats do not roost in
your house by the end of the second summer, move
the house to another location.
What types of
bats can I expect to see in my bat house in the
Southeastern states?
Some of the
most common bat species to occupy bat houses in
southeastern states are as followed: southeastern
bat (Myotis austroriparius), evening bat
(Nycticeius humeralis), eastern pipistrelle
(Pipistrellus subflavus), big brown bat
(Eptesicus fuscus), and Mexican free-tailed
bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), all of which
are light to dark brown in color. For more
information on identifying bats check out
"Stokes Beginners Guide to Bat
Identification."
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Southwestern United
States
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In southwestern
states you can attract certain bats species if the
house is placed in total sun, other species prefer
partial sun, and some bats use houses placed in
total shade. You can paint your bat house white or
leave it natural. If you paint it, use a non-toxic,
latex paint and only paint the outside of the
house. Remember that where you mount your bat house
plays a major role in the internal temperature.
Houses can be mounted on such structures as poles,
sides of buildings and tall trees without
obstructions. Houses should face south to southeast
to take advantage of the morning sun. Your bat
house should be mounted at least 15 feet above the
ground, the higher the house the greater the chance
of attracting bats. Bats return from migration and
awaken from hibernation as early as March in most
of the U.S., but stay active year-round in the
extreme southern U.S. They will be abundant through
out the summer and into late fall. Most houses used
by bats are occupied in the first 1 to 6 months
(during the first summer the bat house was
erected). If bats do not roost in your house by the
end of the second summer, move the house to another
location.
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How well are bat
houses working?
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Bat houses are
continually monitored by researchers,
conservationists, and bat enthusiasts around the
country; here is some recent information: BCI
published its 1996 results of their North American
Bat House Research Project with some interesting
data. They found that when bat houses were placed
at least 10 feet off the ground, receiving at least
6 hours of direct sun, with a long, rough or
screened landing area, and up for at least 1
season, nursery-style bat houses had about 78%
occupancy. This is very good news. Many
participants in OBC’s Bat House Project also
had good success: Titus King, (Saline, MI) has over
a dozen bats in an OBC house placed 23 feet off the
ground, with 8 hours of sun, placed on a chimney;
Don Hodges (Farmington Hills, MI) has over 35 bats
in a home-made box, placed about 20 feet up,
painted black, very little sun, on a house; Sandy
Ryder (Chelsea, MI), placed on a house 10 feet off
a deck has about 20 bats.
Bat house working
in Michigan (written by Pam and Lee
Larson)
I thought the
readers would be interested to know we counted a
minimum of 48 bats dropping out of both of our bat
houses last night (we weren't sure if the second
house was occupied; now we are.) What a thrill! We
think they are little brown bats, their wingspans
appear to be smaller than 9-10 inches. Also, the
bats make a little noise during the day; we can
hear lots of squeaking at times. We hope this is
"normal" and they're not being disturbed by
something. I'm enjoying going outside early in the
morning to see the bats return to the houses. It
seems as if they're "having fun" swooping through
the yard, circling the pole, and flying for the
sheer enjoyment of it! Editors note: those
squeaking noises the Larson's were hearing are
perfectly normal and don't mean that anything is
disturbing the bats.
Rocket box proves
successful
A new bat house
design studied by researchers Dan Dourson and John
MacGregor at the Daniel Boone National Forest
(eastern Kentucky) has had very good success. This
design looks a little like a rocket at the top of a
4X4 wooden pole. It is actually a sleeve that fits
over a very rough 4X4 with angles cut into it so
the bats can roost easily. Occupancy rates are
nearly 90% in some areas. Best use came where bat
boxes were placed on forested ridge tops, in open
areas near ponds, and along riparian habitats. This
design has seen as many as 140 individuals (If you
are interested in trying out this new design you
can purchase one at any Wild Birds Unlimited Store
throughout the U.S. or build your own with
directions in the
Simple Guide to Bat House Design
booklet).
The successful
occupancy of the University of Florida’s Bat
House in Gainesville, Florida
In 1987, Johnson
Hall at the University of Florida burned and the
colony of Mexican Free-tailed bats that lived in
its attic moved to the newly completed Track and
Tennis Stadiums. By 1990, the colony in the Track
had approximately 3,000 bats roosting in it. In the
summer of 1991, UF’s Athletic Association
constructed a large artificial bat roost adjacent
to a large freshwater lake on the campus. The
initial introductions of bats captured during the
exclusions performed at the Track and Tennis
stadiums in September 1991 were not successful. All
the "seeded" bats left the structure within 2 days.
In the Spring of 1993, the house was occupied from
February to March with the bat population
fluctuating from 3-18 bats. In September 1993, 34
bats were counted in the house. In the Spring of
1994, the numbers of bats increased to 275-300. On
January 26, 1995, there were more than 200 bats in
the house, and by September, 1995, the population
was estimated at 8070 + 2000 bats. By February,
1996, the structure housed > 20,000 bats. The
University of Florida Bat House has become a local
tourist attraction with plans in the works for a
viewing area and educational kiosk.
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