We’ve all experienced the enjoyable summer nights spent with friends and family in the backyard only to be broken up by the swarm of mosquitoes hanging around. We’re outnumbered. So we whip out the chemical repellents to hopefully fix the problem. But it buys us only a few minutes of peace; not to mention the smelly insecticidal air we now have to deal with. Too many of us overlook nature’s most wonderful mosquito slayer. The bat.

Despite what many people believe, bats are practically harmless. Unless threatened, they really pose no danger to humans. And because they do most of their work during the calm hours of the night, there is no risk of running into them. Mosquitoes make up a large part of a bat’s diet. These creatures are capable of eating up to 1200 mosquitoes in an hour. They help control the populations of beetles and moths as well. Bats are a great weapon to help eliminate the disease carrying insects that are dangerous to both us and our pets

A simple way of safely attracting these beneficial animals is to install a bat house. There are ones made to hold a dozen and others that can safely house hundreds. A bat house is a roosting area usually mounted on a pole or building 15-20 feet high. A nearby water source is ideal.

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/bat-houses.asp This site has a wide variety of bat houses available to purchase and offers more specifics about bat house requirements.

http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp This is a great site to learn more about bats and has a number of plans to build your own bat house.

Whether you choose to buy or build your own, a bat house is a wonderful way of naturally controlling the pest population. Always remember that if you choose to attract bats to your area, avoid using chemical pesticides altogether. Infected bugs will ultimately kill the unexpecting bats. Take advantage of the most cost effective and environmentally friendly bug killer and begin to enjoy the great outdoors again.