Actually, they are in a house designed just for them. Several years ago, I became interested in bats. Bat Conservation International is a great source of information on bats. They also have information on building and attracting bats. I ordered a bathouse kit to assemble. We erected it in June. The next January,we had 7 bats in it. Now we have around 200! I am working on a second house to accomodate them. They eat more nightflying insects such as mosquitoes, than Purple Martins. My bathouse is mounted at the edge of my garden. Each spring, I spread the guano around the garden and till it into the soil.
A few weeks ago, we went on a trip to Fredericksburg, Texas. I was thrilled to go to the "Old Railroad Tunnel" which is now a home to Mexican Freetail bats. Watching them exit was a thrill. They looked like a dark cloud. They even show up on weather radar until they disperse enough.
Scroll down to see a photo of one of the newborn bats. I think it looks like a gargoyle!
Christmas in Williamsburg
3 hours ago
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Hi! Thanks for your nice comment on my Wildscapes blog. We have a bathouse too but have yet to get it UP. It was a donation. We bought a pole but it was just too much (think "telephone pole"). Now we've got another pole ordered but it hasn't come yet. Did you see our owls on the blog? They were COOL! Take care! sheryl
ReplyDeleteI want a bat house!! I bet I can find a place in my yard. I'd say yours must really like your set up! Once hubby and I were in Austin, and went to the bat bridge to watch them come out-TOO cool! Then I watched a nature show on PBS about hawks that sit outside your cave and 'harvest' bats. Sad!
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