Bat Houses for Pest Control

[me&thegals]

I've read an article or 2 about installing bat houses to cut down on various bug populations. I'd like to do this for my gardens. Has anyone else tried this? Noticed a difference? Have plans for how to build one or a cheap source for buying them outright?

Thanks!

me&thegals

 

[the-metal-peddler]

Yes they do help, I read in the Country Wisdom and Know How ( my mother earth bible ) they eat 600 skeeters a day.

Here are the free plans to build one yourself, as retail price from 25-40 each. I built the exact one, in some months that followed, it had bats living in it.

http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp

 

[me&thegals]

Welcome, TMP! And thanks for the link. I will check it out. That's encouraging how fast the bats showed up! We already have bats, but I'd love a place for them to congregate and populate

I'd love to hear more bat stories

 

[momofdrew]

Thanks We have been thinking of building a bat box these are very good instructions...
Pam

 

[setter4]

When I went to pick up bluebird boxes yesterday the Game commission guy said that I might get swallows in some of them. He said if I did I should let them alone. He claims they are GREAT mosquito eaters! Our game commission also sells bat boxes for $95.

 

[momofdrew]

$95.00???????

we will make our own thank you

 

[setter4]

$95.00???????

we will make our own thank you

Their bluebird houses are so reasonable but I thought $95 was a bit much for a bat house too. They are 36 x25 x 10

 

[bid]

I have heard they eat a lot of mosquitos as well. I don't have any houses for them but I do have a pond and during the summer there are quite a few bats that hunt there. Now as we all know, the skeeters are out and about early morning and then again late evening about the time the sun is going down.

Well right about dusk the bats show up over the pond. They put on a pretty good show and the price of admission is very reasonable too. They are swooping and diving , climb back up and start over, occassionally they even brush the water just enough to make a little ripple. These are the kinda small brown bats. They are out there catching some kinda bugs which is fine by me as we seem to have more than out share of biting insects around here.

 

[the-metal-peddler]

My pond

Closer up my pond

Bat box

Better pic of batbox

Mine cost me about 10 dollars, and an hour or so of my time.

 

[setter4]

$10 sounds a lot more reasonable! lol I wonder why they are so expensive from the Game Commission when their Bluebird boxes are only $7.