I’ve read that you must be patient with bat houses. It can take a long time for them (the bats) to warm up to your hospitality - years even.
Susan
I’ve heard that too. I hung one on a tree in the front yard a few years ago, tragically, too low.
Bats didn’t move in–instead it was a woodpecker who hatched her eggs in there.
One of my cats heard the noise and started bothering the box, eventually knocking it down. The babies did not survive. I was devastated. Have not put one up since.
I once killed a bat. I’ve felt terrible about it every since. I won’t go into details but my primordial fears overtook me. It was in our apartment when my oldest daughter was a little baby.
Poor bat.
G’s Nano I just spat coffee all over my pda laughing at that!
Bats are cool. But they’re running out of habitat fast. I think the UK recently enacted a law making it something of a serious offence to kill one deliberately, or to mess with them in any way, even if they take up residence in your attic or cellar.
No, no, it’s supposed to be “BATmaaaaaaaaaaaannn!”
Yes, bats can be shy little guys. I’m pretty sure my bat house was unoccupied for at least the first summer after I put it up (but I didn’t look as I was trying to let them nest in peace). Anyway, the next summer, bingo! Bats!
I aim to put another one up this spring. They’re great for fleas and things, too, I hear – although they’ll have to fight the chickens for those tasty morsels!
Love from the Backyard Biosphere,
cat.
I once had the misfortune to collide with a bat on a cold dark night and ended up with four stitches in my head..Mind you it was a baseball bat :roll:
Slan,
D.
[quote="GaryKellyBats are cool. But they’re running out of habitat fast. I think the UK recently enacted a law making it something of a serious offence to kill one deliberately, or to mess with them in any way, even if they take up residence in your attic or cellar.[/quote]
True. It is illegal here to kill them or disturb them in any way. We have some roosting in the roofof our cottage and are very happy about it. They are very clean and make amazing little noises. In summer its nice to sit out front on the bench at dusk and watch them come out and fly around our wood and over the river valley - beautiful!
Interesting. Here we are not allowed to harm turkey vultures, which have a habit of finding quiet neighborhoods to roost in en masse, where they stare relentlessly at small dogs out for stroll. Neighborhoods are, however, allowed to set off loud firecrackers for the purpose of convincing the birds that they’d have a more pleasant time elsewhere.
Em wrote:
“Here we are not allowed to harm turkey vultures…”
And do NOT get me started on Canadian Geese!!!
Please, fellow Canadian chiffers - can we send them all BACK to you and you keep them??? Please??? We live on the “flight path” between a large urban forest and a cemetary, and constantly have to wash stuff off of cars and the garage door (what IS it about them ALWAYS hitting the garage door???)
I like bats. So far none have decided to take up residence in the bat house, but I continue to hope. We have a woods with a seep that backs up to our yard, and it’s a mosquito breeding ground. Unfortunately, it’s not OUR property, so I can’t do anything about the seep and mosquitos. And I am a “mosquito magnet” - I’ll have a bite within one minute of walking out the back door in the warm months. I’d love to have a couple of hundred bats to eat the little buggers up.
Missy
The ones flying around your house are doing you a very big favor… they eat loads of mosquitos and other buggy things.!
Die Fledermaus (and Arthur)
No, around as in IN my house. I don’t mind if they fly around the outside perimeter. I just don’t really relish them flying around the INSIDE perimeter The last one we had made it’s presence known in my 15 year old daughter’s bedroom. She came racing down the stairs in tears, telling me that there was a huge MOTH flying around her room.
Ooooooooooooooohhh… ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww… a different story altogether… I had a run in with one inside - neither one of us really enjoyed it.
I went up to bed and, as was my habit, tucked my arm under the pillow… I swore the biggerst darned cricket in the universe started chirping angrily at me… and upon moving the pillow found the poor little ol bat, just as surprised and uncomfortable as I was… crikey but that was a heart thumper!
Don’t feel too bad, I think any mother with an infant would be quick to dispatch any wild animal hanging around. And as rare as it is, bats do sometimes carry rabies, so why risk it?
I like bats as long as they are outdoors.
We are getting our very own STATE BAT!! here in good old Virginny!
And it was proposed by a representative from my neck of the woods
Here’s an better picture of our official state flying mammal- 
Arthur, Die Fledermaus… THE TICK!!!
Die Fledermaus: “Two words Tick. Chick Magnet.”
I don’t know about mothers but as a father I was simply, irrationally repulsed.
Is it my Avatar?
Great photo Gary! Bats are way cool. I have had bat houses for many years, and it is always a great source of entertainment watching them leave in the evening on their quest to rid the neighborhood of ‘skeeters’ and the like.
I loved that cartoon. And the comic books. And the live-action TV show. There’s just something about it… “SPOON!”
I wish they’d release the cartoon on DVD.