Putting up a bat house in NYC: batty?
April 22, 2013 12:23 PM Subscribe
I bought a bat house and I am planning to put it up in my Manhattan garden. But now I'm hearing that there aren't any bats in NYC because of a disease? and that it's a stupid idea anyway because where would the bats be coming from?
My 3-chambered bat house has arrived. I brought a 16-ft. tall 4"x6" pole home (NOT easy). I am ready to attach the two and put up the bat house. But now people are telling me that most of the bats died of some disease, and why am I doing this?
I bought the bat house to help control the unbearable mosquito population that develops every summer. And I heard that bats carry less rabies than feral cats, even, so that they are not dangerous.
But is it ridiculous to put up the bat house?
Is there any other information that I'm missing about the possible complications or futility of putting up a bat house in a New York City garden?
My 3-chambered bat house has arrived. I brought a 16-ft. tall 4"x6" pole home (NOT easy). I am ready to attach the two and put up the bat house. But now people are telling me that most of the bats died of some disease, and why am I doing this?
I bought the bat house to help control the unbearable mosquito population that develops every summer. And I heard that bats carry less rabies than feral cats, even, so that they are not dangerous.
But is it ridiculous to put up the bat house?
Is there any other information that I'm missing about the possible complications or futility of putting up a bat house in a New York City garden?
There are bats in Manhattan.
I don't know whether bats would be interested in your bat house, though.
posted by dfriedman at 12:33 PM on April 22, 2013
I don't know whether bats would be interested in your bat house, though.
posted by dfriedman at 12:33 PM on April 22, 2013
The disease you've heard of is called "white nose syndrome" -- it's real, it's all over the northeast, and it's killed a lot of bats. Which sucks. But they're not extinct, and I don't think it's ridiculous at all to put up a bat house.
That said, bats don't automatically discover them and move in; it can take a while, if they ever do: we had to take ours down when it became a home for wasps instead. Until you're sure your house is inhabited by the right kind of critters, keep an eye on it to make sure the wrong sort haven't taken it over.
posted by ook at 12:35 PM on April 22, 2013 [7 favorites]
That said, bats don't automatically discover them and move in; it can take a while, if they ever do: we had to take ours down when it became a home for wasps instead. Until you're sure your house is inhabited by the right kind of critters, keep an eye on it to make sure the wrong sort haven't taken it over.
posted by ook at 12:35 PM on April 22, 2013 [7 favorites]
Yay! Bat Houses.
Put up your Bat House, keep out unwanted stingy insects, and wait. I'm sure some nice bats will take up residence.
Tell anyone who says anything that Bats are neat and they only wish THEY could have a bat house.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:37 PM on April 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Put up your Bat House, keep out unwanted stingy insects, and wait. I'm sure some nice bats will take up residence.
Tell anyone who says anything that Bats are neat and they only wish THEY could have a bat house.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:37 PM on April 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
I think a lot of people just do not notice bats. I used to watch them at night in Texas, swooping into the thick soup of insects swarming around a street light. Most people seem oblivious. Just put up your house.
posted by Michele in California at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Michele in California at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
You might want to give a call to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. They have some great info on their website about flying mammals.
posted by murfed13 at 12:57 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by murfed13 at 12:57 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
They were definitely talking about White Nose Syndrome, which has had a devastating impact on bat populations in America; I believe it was first found in a New York cave. Here's a 2009 article from Gothamist about it, and it links to this useful page from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. If you are curious about how to attract bats or the chances of there being bats to attract, they would probably be the most helpful resource. Good luck, bats are wonderful!
posted by jetlagaddict at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2013
posted by jetlagaddict at 12:59 PM on April 22, 2013
White nose syndrome has definitely taken a toll on NY bats, but there are absolutely still populations that could use the encouragement.
As others have already said, put up that bat house and just do regular (daytime) sweeps for squatters until you have a confirmed population.
You can control for height (you've done it! yay!), direction (Southwest, full sun), and water (within 1/2mi) to make it more attractive to them.
Thanks for caring about bats - I hope you have some roosting buddies soon!
posted by batmonkey at 1:00 PM on April 22, 2013
As others have already said, put up that bat house and just do regular (daytime) sweeps for squatters until you have a confirmed population.
You can control for height (you've done it! yay!), direction (Southwest, full sun), and water (within 1/2mi) to make it more attractive to them.
Thanks for caring about bats - I hope you have some roosting buddies soon!
posted by batmonkey at 1:00 PM on April 22, 2013
A standard piece of advice I see regarding bat houses is to put something around the base of the pole or tree to keep cats, kids, and whatnot away from any pups that have the misfortune to fall out of the house. This is the because of the rabies hazard mentioned above.
Other than that, your biggest challenges are going to be attracting them into it and dealing with the accumulating guano once they take up residence. I've heard that it takes a bit for man-made houses to age a bit before they'll look attractive to bats - maybe a summer or two - but YMMV.
posted by jquinby at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2013
Other than that, your biggest challenges are going to be attracting them into it and dealing with the accumulating guano once they take up residence. I've heard that it takes a bit for man-made houses to age a bit before they'll look attractive to bats - maybe a summer or two - but YMMV.
posted by jquinby at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2013
One reason the white-nose disease has been so deadly is that it can sweep through those huge roosting colonies.
By providing a small individual roost, you will be helping your bats survive this plague.
posted by jamjam at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
By providing a small individual roost, you will be helping your bats survive this plague.
posted by jamjam at 1:01 PM on April 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
Seconding that (aside from the population issue) people just don't see bats. I love bats and am always pointing them out zipping in and out of streetlights and people think I'm making it up, or tell me they're birds.
posted by Miko at 2:16 PM on April 22, 2013
posted by Miko at 2:16 PM on April 22, 2013
There's a bat house right around the corner from me in a very industrial part of Brooklyn. OF COURSE you should put it up! It might take a while but there'll be some very happy bats in your future. Tell all your friends they need to dream bigger and battier.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:20 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:20 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Bats can be finicky about location. Some spots just aren't great places for them to live, and if you put a bat house in a spot like that, they won't move in. But if you do have a spot that meets the criteria, go for it.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 3:44 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 3:44 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Now there are two....etc.: Your link is the organization from which I bought the bat house. They're great.
Thank you all for the Bat Support.
posted by DMelanogaster at 4:35 PM on April 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Thank you all for the Bat Support.
posted by DMelanogaster at 4:35 PM on April 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Nice to see so many fellow bat fans! In case you don't know about them, I'm just adding a shout-out to Bat Conservation International. Excellent, excellent organization, based in Austin (home of the largest urban bat colony in the world!)
Good luck, DMelanogaster, and please let us know how it goes.
posted by dogrose at 5:01 AM on April 23, 2013
Good luck, DMelanogaster, and please let us know how it goes.
posted by dogrose at 5:01 AM on April 23, 2013
I cannot help with your question but in light of your goal to get the bats to help you out with insect issues, I find your question eponysterical :)
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:36 PM on April 27, 2013
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:36 PM on April 27, 2013
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