Myth One- All Bats Have Rabies
Less than ½ of 1% of bats carry the rabies virus (University of Florida). Fewer than 40 people in the United States are known to have contracted rabies from bats during the past 40 years. Far more people are killed by dog attacks, bee stings, power mowers, or lightning than rabies from bats. Rabies kills bats very quickly, and they do not show the aggressivness that other species do when suffering the illness. As with skunks, raccoons, and all other wild animals however, "do not touch" is the best practice.

Myth Two- Bats Get Caught in People's Hair
Bats do occassionally fly very close to people (not unlike barn swallows). However, their ability to echolocate is so acute that they can detect and avoid the obstacles as small as the width of a piece of thread.

Myth Three- Bats Suck Blood
By far the most famous bats are the vampire bats. These amazing creatures are found in Mexico, Central America and South America. Vampires feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals such as birds, horses and cattle. Vampire bats do not suck blood. The bats obtain blood by making a small cut in the skin of a sleeping animal with their razor-sharp teeth and then lapping up the blood as it flows from the wound. There is an anticoagulant in the bat's saliva that helps to prevent the animal's blood from clotting until the bat has finished its meal. The bat's saliva also contains an anesthetic that reduces the likelihood of the animal feeling the prick. Each bat requires only about two tablespoons of blood every day, so the loss of blood to a prey animal is small and rarely causes any harm.

Myth Four- Bats are "Rats with Wings"
Bats may resemble rodents in many ways, but they are not rodents. In fact, there is recent evidence that bats may be more closely related to primates (which include humans) than to rodents (Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley).

Myth Five- Bats are Blind
Although they can't see color, bats can see better than we do at night (University of California at Berkeley). Bats use Echolocation (or sonar) to navigate and capture insects in the dark. Bats emit pulses of very high-frequency sound (inaudible to human ears) at a rate of a few to 200 per second. By listening to the echoes reflected back to them, they can discern objects in their path. They use echolocation in feeding by either capturing flying insects in their mouths or scooping them into their tail or wing membranes. They then reach down and take the insect into their mouths. This results in the erratic flight most people are familiar with when they observe bats flying around in the late evening or around lights at night. Bats drink by skimming close to the surface of a body of water and gulping an occasional mouthful.


With all this in mind, if you're tired of the mosquitos and don't want to fill your yard with aerosol insecticide, it might be time to think about inviting the flying fox into your gardens. Now is the right time of year to add a Bat House to your property, as this early in the Spring, hibernating bats have yet to awaken and migratory bats have not yet returned to their summer habitats. We would like to add that bats do not compete with birds in any way for food or space, and bat guano is no more hazardous to people than any other animal waste.

Successful Bat House Characteristics

1. Design–All bat houses should be at least 2 feet tall, 14 inches or more wide and have a landing area extending below the entrance at least 3 to 6 inches (some ready-made houses feature recessed partitions that offer landing space inside). Taller and wider houses are even better. Most houses have one to four roosting chambers–the more the better. Roost partitions should be carefully spaced 3/4 to 1 inch apart. All partitions and landing areas should be roughened. Wood surfaces can be scratched or grooved horizontally, at roughly 1/2-inch intervals, or covered with durable plastic mesh (1/8" or 1/4" inch mesh, available from companies such as Internet, Inc. at 1-800-328-8456). Include vents 6 inches from the bottom of all houses to be used where average July high temperatures are 85º F or above. Front vents are as long as a house is wide, side vents 6 inches tall by 1/2 inch wide.
2. Construction–A combination of exterior plywood and cedar is best. Do not use pressure-treated wood. Any screws, hardware or staples used must be exterior grade or galvanized. To increase longevity, use screws rather than nails. Caulk all seams, especially around the roof.
3. Wood Treatment– For the exterior, apply three coats of exterior grade, water-based paint or stain. Available observations suggest that color should be black where average high temperatures in July are less than 85º F, dark colors (such as dark brown or dark gray) where they are 85 to 95° F, medium colors where they are 95 to 100º F and white or light colors where they exceed 100º F. Much depends upon amount of sun exposure; adjust to darker colors for less sun. For the interior, use two coats black, exterior grade, water-based stain. Apply stain after creating scratches or grooves or prior to stapling plastic mesh. Paint fills grooves, making them unusable.
4. Sun Exposure–Houses where high temperatures in July average 80º F or less, should receive at least 10 hours of sun; more is better. At least six hours of direct daily sun are recommended for all bat houses where daily high temperatures in July average less than 100º F. Full, all-day sun is often the most successful in all but the hottest climates.
5. Habitat–Most nursery colonies of bats choose roosts within 1/4 mile of water, preferably a stream, river or lake. Greatest bat house success has been achieved in areas of diverse habitat, especially where there is a mixture of varied agricultural use and natural vegetation. Bat houses are most likely to succeed in regions where bats are already attempting to live in buildings.
6. Mounting–Bat houses should be mounted on poles or buildings. Houses mounted on trees or metal siding are seldom used. Wood or stone buildings with proper solar exposure are excellent choices, and locations under the eaves often have been successful. Mounting two bat houses back to back on poles is ideal. Place houses 3/4 inch apart and cover both with a galvanized metal roof to protect the center roosting space from rain. All bat houses should be mounted at least 12 feet above ground; 15 to 20 feet is better. Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights.
7. Protection from Predators–Houses mounted on sides of buildings or on metal poles provide the best protection from predators. Metal predator guards may be helpful, especially on wooden poles. Bat houses may be found more quickly if located along forest or water edges where bats tend to fly; however, they should be placed at least 20 to 25 feet from the nearest tree branches, wires or other potential perches for aerial predators.
8. Avoiding Uninvited Guests–Wasps can be a problem before bats fully occupy a house. Use of 3/4-inch roosting spaces reduces wasp use. If nests accumulate, they should be removed in late winter or early spring before either wasps or bats return. Open-bottom houses greatly reduce problems with birds, mice, squirrels or parasites, and guano does not accumulate inside.
9. Timing–Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, but are more likely to be used during their first summer if installed before the bats return in spring. When using bat houses in conjunction with excluding a colony from a building, install the bat houses at least two to six weeks before the actual eviction, if possible.
10. Importance of Local Experimentation–It is best to test for local needs before putting up more than three to six houses, especially comparing those of different darkness and sun exposure.

The information above will be included in print with a Bat House purchase. If you would be interested in bringing the flying fox to your garden, e-mail us at Country Care Gardens.

Bats of Central Nebraska

Big Brown Bat (Vespertilionidae Eptesicus fuscus)
A Common Bat House Inhabitant
The big brown bat is found in virtually every American habitat ranging from timberline meadows to lowland deserts, though it is most abundant in deciduous forest areas. It is often abundant in suburban areas of mixed agricultural use. This species ranges from extreme northern Canada, throughout the United States and south to the extreme southern tip of Mexico. Traditionally, these bats have formed maternity colonies beneath loose bark and in small cavities of pine, oak, beech, bald cypress and other trees. Common maternity roosts today can be found in buildings, barns and bridges and this species is probably the most common occupier of bat houses in Nebraska. Small beetles are their most frequent prey, yet big brown bats will consume prodigious quantities of a wide variety of night-flying insects. They are generalists in their foraging behavior and habitat selections, seemingly showing little preference for feeding over water vs. land, or in forests vs. clearings. Like all insect-eating bats, big brown bats contribute mightily to a healthy environment and are vital players in the checks and balances of insect pests. Numerous feeding studies of big brown bats exist indicating that they consume significant crop and forest pests including ground beetles, scarab beetles, cucumber beetles, snout beetles and stink bugs, in addition to numerous species of moths and leafhoppers. Like many bat species, reproductive females often can consume their body weight in insects EACH NIGHT. In fact, a colony of 150 big brown bats can consume enough adult cucumber beetles in one summer to prevent egg-laying that would produce 33 million of their root-worm larvae, a major pest of corn (Whitaker, 1995). Big brown bats clearly rank among America's most beneficial animals. And, as they are forced out of traditional forest habitats due to encroaching human populations, logging, and habitat modification, they will move into increasingly close human contact, taking up residence in buildings and other man-made structures. But, humans and bats can coexist peacefully. Designing bat-specific artificial roosts is one of the best options to keep bats out of our homes, and yet near enough so that we can continue to benefit from their insect-eating capabilities. Though many species, like the big brown, still rank among our most abundant and widespread bats, they nevertheless deserve attention from conservation and education initiatives for healthy environments.

Hoary Bat (Vespertilionidae Lasiurus cinereus)
Hoary bats are one of America's largest and most handsome bats. With their long, dense, white-tipped fur, they have a frosted, or hoary, appearance. Humans rarely get the chance to see these magnificent bats; they are not attracted to houses or other human structures, and they stay well-hidden in foliage throughout the day. They typically roost 10-15 feet up in trees along forest borders. In the summer, hoary bats don't emerge to feed until after dark, but during migration, they may be seen soon after sundown. They sometimes make round trips of up to 24 miles on the first foraging flight of the night, then make several shorter trips, returning to the day roost about an hour before sunrise. Between late summer and early fall, they start their long journey south, migrating to subtropical and possibly even tropical areas to spend the winter. Traveling in waves, they are often found in the company of birds, who also migrate in groups. For the rest of the year, however, hoary bats remain solitary. They are among the most widespread of all bats, found throughout most of Canada and the United States and south into Central and South America. The hoary bat is Hawaii's only native land mammal. Stray individuals have been found from Iceland to Orkney Island as well as in Bermuda and the Dominican Republic.

Eastern Red Bat (Vespertilionidae Lasiurus borealis)
Eastern red bats are North America's most abundant “tree bats.” They are found wherever there are trees east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to as far south as central Florida. Eastern red bats roost right out in the foliage of deciduous or sometimes evergreen trees. Despite their bright red color, these bats are actually rather cryptic, looking like dead leaves or pine cones. They are perfectly camouflaged as they hang curled-up in their furry tail membranes, suspended from a single foot, twisting slightly in the breeze. For the most part, red bats are solitary, coming together only to mate and to migrate. Females even roost singly when rearing young. Unlike most bats, Eastern red bats often give birth to twins and can have litters of up to five young, though three young is average. During the day, pups hold on to their mothers with one foot and on to a perch with the other. Mothers leave their young alone at night when they go out to feed, but if necessary, they will move them to new locations. Pups begin flying at three to four weeks and are weaned only a few weeks later. In the summertime red bats are among the earliest evening fliers, typically feeding around forest edges, in clearings, or around street-lights where they consume predominantly moths. In the fall they perform long-distance migrations using the same migratory routes along the Atlantic seaboard as many birds. In the late 1800s, there were reports of large migratory flocks passing over in the daytime, but no such sightings have been made this century. Very little is known about their winter habitat or behavior. In some areas of the southeastern U.S., Eastern red bats have occasionally been encountered flying up out of the leaf litter in advance of prescribed burns done during the late fall. They are known to survive body temperatures as low as 23 degrees F. Their long, silky fur provides extra protection from severe cold, and they also use their heavily furred tail membrane like a blanket, wrapping themselves up almost completely. While in hibernation, red bats respond to subfreezing temperatures by raising their metabolic rate to maintain a body temperature above their critical lower survival limit.

Silver Haired Bat (Vespertilionidae Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Silver-haired bats are among the most common bats in forested areas of America, most closely associated with coniferous or mixed coniferous and deciduous forest types, especially in areas of Old Growth. They form maternity colonies almost exclusively in tree cavities or small hollows. And like many forest-roosting bats, silver-haired bats will switch roosts throughout the maternity season. Because silver-haired bats are dependent upon roosts in Old Growth areas, managing forests for diverse age structure and maintaining forested corridors are important to these bats. It is estimated that these bats require snag densities of at least 21 per hectare and often forest management practices have fallen far short of this figure. Unlike many bat species, silver-haired bats also appear to hibernate mainly in forested areas, though they may be making long migrations from their summer forest to a winter forest site. Typical hibernation roosts for this species include small tree hollows, beneath exfoliating bark, in wood piles, and in cliff faces. Occasionally silver-haired bats will hibernate in cave entrances, especially in northern regions of their range. Like big brown bats, the silver-haired bats have been documented to feed on many insects perceived as pest species to humans and/or agriculture and forestry. Even though they are highly dependent upon Old Growth forest areas for roosts, silver-haired bats feed predominantly in disturbed areas, sometimes at tree-top level, but often in small clearings and along roadways or water courses. Though their diets vary widely, these bats feed chiefly on small, soft-bodied insects. Silver-haired bats have been known to take flies, midges, leafhoppers, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, crane flies, lacewings, caddisflies, ants, crickets, and occasional spiders.

Sources: Bat Conservation International Inc.; University of California Berkeley; University of Florida; Jones, Choate and Armstrong, _Guide to Mammals of the Plains States_ , University of Nebraska Press;U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Department of the Interior, Harvey, Altenbach and Best, _Bats of the United States_,published by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Bat Facts

-The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing less than a penny.

-Giant flying foxes that live in Indonesia have wingspans of nearly six feet.

- The common little brown bat of North America is the world's longest lived mammal for its size, with life-spans sometimes exceeding 32 years.

-Mexican free-tailed bats sometimes fly up to two miles high to feed or to catch tail-winds that carry them over long distances at speeds of more than 60 miles per hour.

-The pallid bat of western North America is immune to the stings of scorpions and even the seven-inch centipedes upon which it feeds.

-Fishing bats have echolocation so sophisticated that they can detect a minnow's fin as fine as a human hair, protruding only two millimeters above a pond's surface.

-African heart-nosed bats can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of more than six feet.

-Red bats that live in tree foliage throughout most of North America can withstand body temperatures as low as 23 degrees F. during winter hibernation.

- Tiny woolly bats in West Africa live in the large webs of colonial spiders.

-The Honduran white bat is snow white with a yellow nose and ears. It cuts large leaves to make "tents" that protect its small colonies from jungle rains.

-Disk-winged bats of Latin America have adhesive disks on both wings and feet that enable them to live in unfurling banana leaves (or even walk up a window pane!).

-Frog-eating bats identify edible from poisonous frogs by listening to the mating calls of male frogs. Frogs counter by hiding and using short, difficult to locate calls.

-Vampire bats adopt orphans and have been known to risk their lives to share food with less fortunate roost-mates.

-Male epauletted bats have pouches in their shoulders which contain large, showy patches of white fur that they flash during courtship to attract mates.

-Mother Mexican free-tailed bats find and nurse their own young, even in huge colonies where many millions of babies cluster at up to 500 per square foot.

-Nearly 1,000 kinds of bats account for almost a quarter of all mammal species, and most are highly beneficial. -Worldwide, bats are an important natural enemies of night-flying insects. A single little brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquitoes-sized insects in just one hour.

-A colony of 150 big brown bats can protect local farmers from up to 33 million or more rootworms each summer. The 20 million Mexican free-tails from Bracken Cave, Texas eat approximately 200 tons of insects nightly.

-Tropical bats are key elements in rain forest ecosystems which rely on them to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs. -In the wild, important agricultural plants, from bananas, breadfruit and mangoes to cashews, dates, and figs rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal.

-Tequila is produced from agave plants whose seed production drops to 1/3,000th of normal without bat pollinators.

-Desert ecosystems rely on nectar-feeding bats as primary pollinators of giant cacti, including the famous organ pipe and saguaro of Arizona.

-Bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasohol and antibiotics.

-An anticoagulant from vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human heart patients.

-Bats are exceptionally vulnerable to extinction, in part because they are the slowest reproducing mammals on earth for their size, most producing only one young annually.

-More than 50% of American bat species are in severe decline or already listed as endangered. Losses are occurring at alarming rates worldwide. Loss of bats increases demand for chemical pesticides, can jeopardize whole ecosystems of other animal and plant species, and can harm human economies.

Source: Bat Conservation International Inc.