Popular movies and myths have made many people fear bats, specifically the vampire bat. But the vampire bat is hardly the blood-sucking monster Hollywood has portrayed it to be. The truth is that bats are harmless to humans, and are often hurt by humans. The unfortunate relationship between humans and bats is made worse when bats are forced to live near humans because their natural habitats have been destroyed. Bats are often known to nest in trees near people’s homes, and sometimes on people’s houses.
Many people aren’t comfortable living side by side with bats. But misunderstanding doesn’t need to lead to ousting the bats entirely. Bat houses are built specifically for bats to nest in. These specially-built enclosures are designed to offer bats the darkness they prefer, and provide dozens of bats a safe shelter.
Those considering buying or building a
bat house may like to know a little bit about the bats they might see in they backyard. There are more than 900 species of bats, and they make up one fifth of the world’s mammals. There are two groups of bats—larger, fruit-eating megabats and tiny insect-hunting microbats. Microbats live all over the world, while megabats live only in tropical areas.
