BUILDING A BETTER BAT HOUSE

BAT FACTS: 
1.  BATS, LIKE HUMANS ARE MAMMALS.  BATS ARE THE ONLY MAMMALS THAT   CAN FLY. 
2.  FEMALE BATS USUALLY GIVE BIRTH TO ONE YOUNG OR PUP PER YEAR.
3.  BATS ARE NOCTURNAL-ACTIVE AT NIGHT, RESTING DURING THE DAY.
4.  BATS HAVE EXCELLENT EYESIGHT, AND ARE NEVR "BLIND AS A BAT!"  TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND IN THE DARK, THEY USE ECHOLOCATION OR A BUILT IN SONAR:
5.  BATS CAN WEIGH AS LITTLE AS TWO GRAMS (LESS THAN 1/10 OF AN OUNCE) OR AS MUCH AS TWO POUNDS.
BAT FOOD:
ALL SOUTHEASTERN BATS FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES FED EXCLUSIVELY ON INSECTS ( THE JAMAICAN FRUIT-EATING BAT EATS INSECTS AND FRUIT).  A BAT FEASTING ON MOTHS, MOSQUITOS, BEETLES AND OTHER INSECTS CAN EAT ONE HALF OF ITS BODY WEIGHT IN ONE NIGHT!  BACKYARD BATS WILL HELP REDUCE INSECT PESTS THAT BOTHER YOU AND YOUR GARDEN PLANTS.  A TYPICAL SUMMER COLONY OF 100 BATS FEEDING 200 DAYS WILL CONSUME MORE THAN 2200 POUNDS OF INSECTS OR APPROXIMATELY 600,000,000 BUGS.
ATTRACTING BATS:
MOST EASTERN BATS SPEND THE WINTER HIBERNATING IN CAVES AND MOVE TO TREES OR BUILDINGS FOR THE SUMMER.  SOME HOWEVER, SPEND ALL YEAR IN CAVES AND OTHERS (TREE BATS) SELDOM SEE A CAVE, PREFERRING TO ROOST IN TREES DURING THE WARM SUMMERS AND TREE HOLLOWS FOR THE COOL WINTERS.
AS HOLLOW TREES ARE CUT DOWN, BAT BOXES, SUCH AS THE ONES SHOWN HERE, ARE NEEDED FOR BATS TO SURVIVE.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN APRIL TO AUGUST WHEN FEMALES ARE LOOKING FOR SAFE AND QUIET PLACES TO GIVE BIRTH AND RAISE THEIR PUPS.  BOTH THE MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO BEING DISTURBED. 
INSTALL A BAT BOX ANYTIME BUT LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING IS BEST.  HANG THE BOX AT LEAST 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND, IN A SPOT WHERE IT CAN RECEIVE SIX HOURS OF MORNING SUN. 
ABOUT 100 BATS CAN LIVE IN THIS BOX.

THE BAXTER COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT HAS PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BUILD BAT HOUSES FOR YOU TO PICK UP HERE AT THE OFFICE.  COME BY THE OFFICE FOR THIS AND OTHER GREAT INFORMATION RANGING FROM OTHER TOPICS OF BACKYARD PONDS TO MULCHING AND COMPOSTING ETC... 406 W. WADE AVE. MTN. HOME ARKANSAS OR CALL 870-425-3527 EX. 3