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Bat populations are
declining nationwide, and some species are so rare that they are seen infrequently if at all.
Most of our local species are species of special concern or declining in numbers, due to loss of foraging habitat, lack
of safe roosting space, and pesticide use. They truly need all the help
they can get. Here are some of the ways you can get involved.
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 Bat Guano can be hazardous, removing the bat guano is a wise decision. |
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Bat Droppings
Cleaned Up Bat Guano
Put up a bat house:
There is bat house information at Bat Conservation International,
if you want to build your own bat house for a scouting or class project. They have info on where to install your bat house, and tips to
help attract the little tenants. If you want to buy one pre-assembled,
you can purchase them from the BCI catalog or buy one of BCI's recommended models/designs.
Another good site is Bat Conservation and Management,which has a wealth of bat house information.
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Step 1: Locate the Bat
You need to stay calm if there is a bat in your house. Bats can sense
when you are upset and will become agitated. In a quiet manner, detect
the bat's location.
Step 2: Contain the bat
If the bat is in a room, close the door and open all the windows in
the room. Turn on the lights so you can see the bat and it can see you.
For a bat that is flying throughout the house, close all interior doors
and open only doors that lead outside (as well as windows). Turn on all
the lights.
Step 3: Remove the Bat
Always wear heavy work gloves for bat removal. Once a bat is exposed
to light, it will want to look for someplace to sleep. When the bat is
motionless, it is a good time to use a net or towel to cover and grasp
it. Take the bat outside and release it.
Step 4: Determine How Bats are Entering Your Home
Continually finding bats in your house is an indication that you have
a colony of bats probably living in your attic. Keep watch on the
outside of your house at sunset to see where bats are exiting your
house. You may need the help of other family members or friends to do
this. Look closely for small openings and holes, as bats can fit through
a hole the size of your thumb. Repeat the surveillance several nights
until you are sure you know how the bats are getting inside.
Step 5: Give the Bats a Place to Roost
Mount a bat house close to where the bats are entering and exiting
your home. Allow the bats at least three to four days to know that the
bat house is available for them.
Step 6: Give the Bats a New Home
In the afternoon, cover any openings that the bats are using with a
mesh screen. Secure the top and sides with duct tape, leaving the bottom
open. At dusk the bats can push and crawl through the screen to leave
the house. They cannot return with the screen blocking their path, so
the bats will seek out the best place to roost. The close proximity of
the bat house will attract the bats.
Step 7: Seal Bats Out of Your Home
Leave the screen in place for a week, then permanently seal the
openings. Never try to lure bats out of your home in June, July or
August. These months are the time of year when bats nest with their
young. The young bats cannot fly, so you could seal them in your house
causing both an unpleasant and unhealthy situation.
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Save their habitat:
Bats need streams, forests, fields, marshes and chaparral
to forage for insects or nectar, and to find safe roosts to raise their
pups. As one biologist told us, "All the bat houses in the world won't
help bats if they don't have any natural habitat left in which they can
hunt insects." There are many groups working in southern California to
preserve open spaces and natural areas for our wild neighbors. The Nature Conservancy buys land in order to preserve it, and works with many local government agencies and land trusts. The Sierra Club
has also saved much open space in California, and can put you in
contact with a local group trying to save habitat in your area.
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