Mounting a bat house on your property is the perfect way to help bats who are in need of a safe place to live while protecting your yard from pesky night-flying insects.

Contrary to popular myths, most bats have very good eyesight, have excellent echolocation so they do not become entangled in human hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans. A single little brown bat (myotis) can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in a single hour, and is one of the world's longest-lived mammals for its size, with life spans of almost 40 years. Bats are very clean animals, and groom themselves almost constantly (when not eating or sleeping) to keep their fur soft and clean, like tiny cats.

Providing bat houses can help build the populations of many valuable bat species that eat many crop-damaging insects, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers and corn worm moths. Bat houses furnish places for bats to roost, hibernate and raise young, in addition to the dwindling number of natural sites available to them.

Place your bat house a minimum of 10 to 12 feet high facing South to South East. Look for a location that gets early sun and continues to get sunlight through most of the day, remember bats like it between 85 and 100 degrees F. Avoid being too close to trees where owls or hawks may wait for a quick meal. The side of a house, barn or on a pole is always a good option. Trees are generally (though not always) less successful in attracting colonies. A few exceptions I’ve seen are isolated pine trees or large poplar trees with one side exposed to sunlight. With trees just remember, they provide a good climbing surface for predators and foliage can block sunlight. Where should I put my new bat house?