My Bat Houses

There is need to help conserve wildlife, especially those animals who face the threat of imminent extinction. Bats are one of such animals whose rate of extinction is on the increase. This is mainly because of the numerous misconceptions surrounding their existence. In some places, people think that bats portend evil, or are harbingers of bad news, while others tend to keep away from them simply because of their look and because they are mostly nocturnal.

In truth, bats are quite simple and fragile mammals. Bat conservation should be a major obligation for those who are particular about wild life conservation. Especially because of their role in maintaining balance in the ecosystem, they should be considered household pets. They usually feed on insects, thereby balancing the ecological chain around us. Some of these insects may even be harmful to man as they are either parasites or disease carrying vectors.

Although keeping bats around the house is not the only step you should take for the eradication of disease causing pests such as mosquitoes, they have been found to be very helpful in reducing the populations of mosquitoes in any given area. There are some bat species which are known for their voracious appetites. Some of such bats may each capture about 700 to 1,000 mosquitoes in just an hour! Then imagine how many mosquitoes a colony of such bats would consume.

Nursing mothers may consume more than this amount each night. This is largely because mosquitoes are usually not on the offensive, making them an easy prey to the bats. Apart from mosquitoes, other household and garden insects such as beetles and moths can be greatly reduced by the presence of bats in an environment. This helps us minimize the use of aerosols and other chemical substances which are not only harmful to the insects, but to humans and other living things as well.

Helping bat conservation by just building a bat house is not enough. It is necessary to build the house in such a way that bats can feel comfortable to stay in them. You can start by building the bat house close to your house or in other places where you know they will naturally congregate. Most times, it is easier to build such houses in old buildings and bridges where they used to live before now.

A bat house does not take so much to build. All you will need to do is ensure that the house is not positioned directly in the line of a very bright light. However, it should be situated in a place where it can receive about 7-15 hours of sunlight daily. It should be painted using a dark color to avoid heat loss. This will help to regulate the temperature while making the bat house conducive for them.

Also, the entrance of the bat house should not be covered by any obstacles such as a stump or tree branch. This is to allow the bats easy movement in and out of their house. Also, vertical ridges should be made on the wall so that the bats can grasp and perch more easily, and the roof also should be covered with plastics so as to help retain temperature while avoiding hurting the bats if metal covering is used.

To find bat houses that attract bats visit www.mydyrejewels.com/bat-houses.  You will find bat houses to provide conservation help in many different styles.