Installing bat house

Madison Audubon is encouraging bat conservation and a group of us constructed about 25 bat houses for installation at various natural areas. Recently, Kathie, Susan, and Marci installed our bat house high on a dead stump. Bats prefer houses that are about 10 feet high and face south. Many people install a bat house on a tall pole, but this stump, the survivor of a violent wind storm, seemed suitable.

Bats are extremely important members of the ecosystem, and play major roles in insect control. A single small brown bat can catch hundreds of mosquitoes and other insects per hour. Bats forage at night and sleep in the day time.

The design of our bat house is one that has been approved by bat conservation groups. Now we must wait to see what happens.