This animal is definitely a friend to gardeners.
I think most of you know what bats are and that they fly at night. They don't attack people as movies might tell you. Even the vampire bats prefer cows and wild mammals to humans. But I'm not about to go looking for a vampire bat anytime soon.
Bats eat thousands of insect nightly including the ghastly mosquito that I'm not too fond of since one made me sick a couple months back. They grab bugs in a pocket between the back legs, and then grabs the insects out of the pouch with its mouth.
You want to attract bats with "bat houses." These are wooden houses similar to a bluebird house but bigger. Once you place the house, don't disturb it at all. The bat will not live there with human scent anywhere on the house. Experts say that it takes awhile for human scent to go away initially so don't worry if you have no bats living there for a few weeks or months.
Male, female, nursing, and community type houses are available. Place the houses in fall or winter and by spring, you should see some bat activity.
Place your houses approximately 12-ft above ground. You can hang them on poles, trees, fences, or whatever. I'd place them out in the woods not too near a yard especially if there is traffic, human or mechanical, in the area. Female bats like it warm especially when they have young so hang the house where it gets sun. Male houses should be placed in shady areas where it's cool. Sounds like a married couple-one hot, the other cold.
Bats leave the nest at dusk so they catch many of the insects that haven't left the garden yet. This is how they are a good pest control method in any garden. And hey, if they eat mosquitoes, I'm all for bat houses!
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