Bats are mammals. There are almost a thousand species of bats, but only 14 of these are found in Canada. Two species are most common: The Big Brown bat and the Little Brown bat. Little Browns are the ones that roost in bat houses. They live for about 30 years and females produce one offspring (a pup) each year which they nurse with milk from mammary glands.

Bats love bugs! Every night, all summer long, they emerge from their roosts at dusk and gobble up all the flying insects and larvae that they can find before returning to the roost to hang upside down and digest their meals. A single brown bat will eat up to 600 flying insects in just one hour. Do the math. If you can attract a colony of bats to your property you could get rid of more than 60 million bugs each summer.

Where do bat myths originate?

No one knows why it is that bats are associated with Halloween and ghosts and have a reputation for drinking blood! Perhaps it is simply that bats congregate in attics and abandoned buildings, so they were around in the old dungeons and castles of fable and artists included them in their drawings. In any case, the truth is that bats do not drink blood. They can in fact see, although not well. And, thanks to a sophisticated radar system, they navigate at incredible speeds and never, ever, run into anything, including your hair!

Rabies and other diseases are uncommon in bats because sick bats die quickly. A human is unlikely to come into contact with a rabid bat. However, as with all sick wildlife, it is wise not to touch bats with your bare hands.

Bat house research

Extensive research has been conducted world-wide on bat houses. The most important Canadian research has taken place at Memorial University of Newfoundland. RNR Products conducts research in Eastern and Central Ontario. Concerned people are trying to protect bats from becoming extinct by putting up bat houses to replace the rapidly depleting natural roosts that formerly existed in trees and old barns and attics. Todays buildings are constructed with treated woods which bats avoid.

The research has proved several facts:

Bats need heat. Bat houses must be tightly constructed without drafts, and in northern

climates they should be painted black or covered with tar paper. RNR Products research indicated that bats are not deterred by black latex paint.

Bats prefer long, small roosting areas. Bat houses should be at least 57 cm (23) deep and the interior chambers should be no bigger than 2.4 cm (7/8).

Nursing mothers like to congregate with other mothers, and like to move their pups from chamber to chamber or house to house. RNR Products has produced a Colony Bat House that will attract mother bats, or you could erect two basic houses side by side.

Young bats need something to cling to inside the bat houses. Interior compartments should be covered with special screening or scored heavily.

Bats will choose a bat house with an exterior landing area over one without.

Houses must be mounted in selected locations.

Mounting bat houses

You can mount a bat house at any time of the year. RNR Products mounted a Colony Bat House back to back with a Mosquito Bomber basic house in early May, and had occupancy in August of the same year. However, occupancy depends on many circumstances, including the number of natural or competing roosts nearby, so same year occupancy is not guaranteed. You can increase your chances for quick results by getting your houses up before April so that bats emerging from hibernation or returning north will investigate them before settling elsewhere.

Bats need heat. It is very important to mount a bat house in an area where it will get at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. The optimum choice is to fact it into the morning sun.

Bats need water. You need a source of water nearby. Lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, all qualify and should be within a mile of your property.

Bats like direct approaches. Your house should fact an open pathway that is not blocked by many trees or other obstacles.

Bats fear predators. Mount your house at least 12 feet high on the side of a building or on a pole. A baffle should be attached to poles.

Bats avoid pressure treated wood products and vinyl and aluminum siding. A large exterior grade wood backing should be applied to the side of buildings before houses are attached.

Complete mounting instructions are included in RNR Products Bat House Book which is included free with every bat house purchased, or which can be ordered separately.