Stimuli

Did you know that one bat can consumer up to 1200 mosquitoes in one hour? We didn't either, but after spending the last week in the Cariboo, also know as "mosquito heaven", we've come to appreciate how much bats contribute to controlling the mosquito population. So, how do you encourage the bats to hang around your home and do their job?

With a Bat House, of course. Typically made of wood, bat houses come in a variety of styles and sizes. Your choice depends on how many bats you want your house to accommodate as well as how you want it to look in your yard.

Successfully attracting bats to their new home depends on a few factors including where you mount the house and the amount of sunlight it receives during the day. Also, the darker the colour of your bat house, the more heat it will retain thus giving bats the warmer environment they crave. For more information on how to attract and retain bats for an eco-friendly, natural bug control option, visit Bat Conservation International.

You can purchase your own bat house from a variety of sources. Wild Birds Unlimited in Langley has a selection starting at $30 for a do-it-yourself kit and go up from there. There's also a few Canadian online resources including Canadian Bat Houses (as shown in top left photo) and For the Birds Nature Shop (bottom right picture). Prices online start at $88.