Bats

Wife decided she wants to control the bugs on our property ecologically and bought a bat house. Asked me to mount it as high as possible on the side of my shop or hay barn. If it attracts bats, she'll order more. I admit I know very little about them other than they produce copious amounts of guano. The idea of having bat excrement dripping down the side of my shop/barn doesn't excite me. Anyone here have experience with bat houses? Are my concerns valid? And yes.. get the bat s*it crazy jokes out of your system.

I use the Dynatrap XL. Works like a charm. I even have some standing water in places and no mosquitos. It traps any bug that flys. Kinda nasty to clean but I make do.

Ok here's the deal, bats are good to have around. Mount bat house at least 15' high, south facing. I've made several bat houses. My youngest son in college did a biology project and placed 10 houses on campus at Texas A&M Commerce many years ago.
Don't know what you paid for the house, but plenty of plans on the internet. All you need is some 1/2" plywood and some small wire to line the inside because this is what they hang onto.
Good luck,

Yeh I dunno about that......I'm half werewolf so probly wouldn't work out.....

Bats are great... until they get inside your shop. Ask me how I know.

I'm good with a bat house, but I'd mount it on a tree or pole way out in the yard.

I had a bat house and it just attracted wasps and yellow jackets.

such an interesting situation, are you sure it was the bat house and not something else, it seems odd

It was a covered/protected box that was vertical and narrow. Exactly bats like. Wasps and yellow jackets nested inside it because it was perfect for them too.

I've been wanting to get some bat houses ever since I heard Merlin Tuttle on Joe Rogan. I'm just not sure I would attract any bats in my area.

Go out in your yard at dusk and watch for them flying around, if you see some you can attract them to a bat house. Too much light around will not be favorable to having bats, street lights, shop lights etc.

No you will not have guano running down your wall.

We like to go sit on the breezeway up at the ranch and watch them at dusk. They will buzz us, fly close, and it is very entertaining to watch them hunt bugs. We have at least 2 species up in the canyon area, probably more like 3 or more. Yes they can get into shops or barns or houses-basements , but not in big numbers. We found dead ones in the basement and garage.
They migrate as well.

Bats have good quality , such as eating lots of insects. But are also a rabies carrier.

the rabies thing has been way overstated, they are not much of a carrier at all

Meh, my ex girlfriend had rabies. She bit me too.

I'll take the bats.

Really? Around these parts, we are advised not to handle a dead bat. Supposed to call animal control so they can collect and have it tested.

Bats do carry rabies, and people rarely come into contact with healthy bats, so yes it's not advisable to handle dead or sick bats because they probably do have rabies. However as a population they aren't huge rabies spreaders. Not near as bad as skunks.