Joe's Market Basket is Batty for Bat Houses

Did you know that the US is home to nearly 50 species of bats, most of which consume insects that make them a wonderful, all-natural form of pest control? In the Midwest, bats consist of Big and Little Brown Bats, Red Bats, Hoary Bats and Silver-Haired Bats. Around March and April, bats start to wake up from hibernation and they are hungry!

The elements of a good bat house include a slanted roof for run-off, slots for ventilation, a predator guard and a long, narrow design that helps with temperature variation. Joe’s Market Basket offers a variety of bat houses for your property this spring along with some tips for their installation and bat preservation.

Placement of the bat house.
Ideally, placing the bat house on a pole, house, barn or garage at least 15’ tall is best. The higher the better! Attracting bats is easiest when two bat houses are placed back to back. The houses should also be placed south or southeast to get morning sunlight. Once a colony finds your bat house, they will use it year-after-year.

All about bats.
Bats, on the average, eat almost their full body weight each night and their preferred food is that of flying insects. The colony-roosting bats will use bat houses, such as the Big Brown Bats and the Little Brown Bats. Wondering what happens if the bats get too close to your home or even stuck inside? Don’t worry! If a bat accidentally gets stuck in your home or garage, simply open any doors and windows and sit down to stay out of its way. With echolocation, the bat will find its way out!

Joe’s Market Basket offers a selection of bat houses to choose from, so if you’re ready to invest in a natural way for pest-control, visit one of our 5 locations today in Edwardsville, Godfrey, O’Fallon, Troy, Illinois or the Joe’s Market Basket in St. Peters, Missouri. It’s also the ideal time to start thinking about your landscaping and fertilization plans. We’ve got it all! Give us a call today or find us online at www.joesmarketbasket.com.