[ghostie]

I was just doing some research before putting up our bat-house and found this great site. There is a video of one of the founders of the "Organization for Bat Conservation" on the Conan O'Brien Show and the clip is very funny. Just thought I'd share...

http://www.batconservation.org/content/Specialbatappearances.html

 

[grapegrl]

Kudos to you, ghostie, for putting up a bat house. My dad builds them and I have a few up around the house. I love "bat watching" in the evenings!

 

[Death's Door]

I bought my hubby two bat boxes a couple of years ago. I love to watch them fly around in the evening. Lovely creatures of the night!!!!!

 

[Zombie-F]

I started a bat house last year but never finished it off. I think it may have wound up being in barn when I demolished it. I'll have to build another one. I have a tree that it would mount perfectly to.

Of course, I don't really need to do this. They roost quite happily under the shingles on the back of my house. They really do fit into the smallest places.

 

[ghostie]

Yeah, I guess if it's 3/4ths of an inch wide, they can get in. They are the coolest creatures. We found one dead *sob* hanging on our cabin mantle this spring but I was fascinated with him. (we thought he was still alive, and hubby made me try and catch him! Wimp) Really neat. So, even though the little guy died, I've now got plans for two large bat houses, so he didn't die in vain. He helped his species by educating me...Now, if I can only get my daughter's teacher as excited as I am about a dead bat!

 

[Bone Dancer]

So, do you have a link as to how to build a bat house.

 

[ghostie]

You can buy them in a lot of places, but here's a link to my favorite bat site's instructions on how to build one...Follow the link to "Design to make your own bat house" and go from there. They look pretty easy. That site also sells them for 45.00 with 100% of the profits going back to help the bats...

http://www.batconservation.org/content/Bathouseimportance.html

ps. Also check out the link to "See an OBC bat house working". It shows their little faces as they're snuggling together. Bats are so cool.

 

[Hella]

Thanks for the link Ghostie, I have been wanting to construct a bat house for my yard, now I know how.

 

[ghostie]

You're welcome! And the bats thank you too! They say put it up with southern exposure (6-8 hrs of sun a day) and around 15 - 20 feet high...Good luck!

 

[Zombie-F]

I actually have the book the bat conservation put out on how to build a bat house. It's pretty good. Judging by what's written in the book, most store-bought bat houses aren't really all that suitable for bats to live in, which is why they suggest building your own.

It needs to be REALLY hot inside, so it must be painted a dark color and be in a position to get lots of sun. Of course, the color you paint it also depends upon the area you live in. Clearly, if you live in Arizona you don't want to paint it black.

I should really finish mine off (if I can find it) and nail it up to the tree I was going to mount it on.

 

[grapegrl]

Woooo! I just got buzzed by one of our flying cuties as I was coming in from the vineyard!

 

[ghostie]

...most store-bought bat houses aren't really all that suitable for bats to live in, which is why they suggest building your own.

Agreed, my Menards bat house is lame. Like most things, I didn't realize how lame until I started to do some research. But at least it got me going. I'll probably still put it out as well as one from the OBC. If it doesn't work, I'll use it for kindling...

 

[ghostie]

Got yourself a kamakazi bat?? hehe...I also learned that bats aren't blind. They see four times better than humans...who knew...

 

[Jack Reaper]

We just had a news report that there has been a Rabies outbreak amoung our local bats...so be careful.

 

[ghostie]

Wow. That is rare. The OBC also said that the media tends to blow bat/rabies issues out of proportion (big surprise). But you are very right, it is always a good idea to be careful. They said the only way you can get rabies from a bat is if you try to pick one up and it bites you. And said they have excellent eye sight and won't just fly into/bite you intentionally...thank goodness, they really would be scarey then!

 

[grapegrl]

Rabies, schmabies...

/just kidding
//almost had to get the rabies series after getting bitten by a roaming dog several years ago

 

[ghostie]

...almost had to get the rabies series after getting bitten by a roaming dog several years ago

Ouch! I'm glad to hear you didn't. That's scary stuff.

 

[grapegrl]

Ouch! I'm glad to hear you didn't. That's scary stuff.

Me too! My sister had to get her rabies shots after being attacked by a possum while she was taking out the trash one night a few years ago. I don't think that it is as nightmarish an ordeal nowadays as it used to be, but it is still scary. Rabies would be a bad way to go.

 

[Michigal]

Yeah, my youngest son got the series when he was about 10 years old. The neighbor girl had found a bat and put it in a cage on her porch. About 40 kids came to see it, and would touch it through the cage. When it was discovered this was going on, it was killed and tested positive. Fortunately, it wasn't the injections into the abdomen anymore, but it still wasn't any fun for him. Or I imagine the remainder of the kids.

 

[HibLaGrande]

Oh boy! I never even thought of building a bat house. Now I want to. birds make too much noise and poop all over the car. I think I'm going to build one.