People all over the world have discovered the benefits and wonders of bats. Bats have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and are the only mammals that fly. Bats vary in size from the Cuban Bat which is slightly over 2 grams to the large Indian Fox Bat, found in India and Australia, that has a 6 foot wingspan.

Bats have been falsely labeled as evil or mysterious creatures for hundreds of years. There are many reasons for this do to their appearance and behaviors. We must remember that bats are wild animals that will bite if approached. However they make good neighbors and are good to have around. Besides being an excellent insect deterrent and maintaining a balanced environment they are also helpful in fertilizing our crops.

We can learn more about our bat neighbors and at the same time help restore the bat populations by building bat houses.Buildiing a bat house is quite easy. There are many construction plans available, or they can be bought through garden centers or online web sites. Bat houses resemble bird houses with slightly different dimensions. They are slightly longer but are narrower and their openings are on the bottom. The best location for a thriving bat house is either on a pole in an open area or attached to a building. Houses placed in trees will have a less chance of attracting bats.

They don't necessarily need to be large to be beneficial, but houses with multiple chambers are generally more successful at attracting bats than single-chamber houses. Multi-chambered houses provide a living space with a variety of temperatures that allow the bats to select the conditions most comfortable for them. Bats like it dark inside their houses so it's important to stain all inside parts a dark color. Interior surfaces should be notched every half inch to provide the clinging surface bat's require.

A well constructed and placed bat house can be occupied within 6 months. Long houses will be favored over short ones. There are a number of reasons why bat houses fail. But the three most common reasons are poor design and construction or poor placement.

Bat houses have been used throughout the world but are fairly new to America. Having a bat house near a home can help control an annoying insect population. They are a simple and economical solution for bat conservation. By building a bat house we can help protect our environment.

Building mounted bat houses have a higher probability of getting occupied over the pole mounted ones.  Either way both these mountings should be away from tree limbs and power lines.  Their ideal height should be between 15 to 20 feet to safeguard the bat house from possible predators.  The chances of attracting more bats are better in locations within a quarter mile near bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and streams.  Also, results from studies in the US have shown that bat houses facing in a Southwesterly direction will get occupied more quickly.

If you are wondering if there are bats in your area?  Well don't worry.  Bats can be found in every continent except Antarctica.  There may be bats in your backyard right now.  So mount your bat house and see.  They can be mounted any time during the year.  Some bats migrate in the winter to warmer climates while others hibernate.  Bat houses that are mounted in the spring stand a better chance of getting occupied faster when the bat colony is in a growth spurt.  Bats are always looking for suitable housing.  But in some instances bats will not abandon an existing house for a new one.  In this situation it just may take a while. Patience is suggested.  Don't think that your area has no bats.  They are out there.  Give them a chance.