Making a bat house a bat home

By Barbara Mudrak

Jamey Emmert and her husband put up a bat house two and a half years ago. It remained vacant till this spring, when a little brown bat they named Wyclef moved in.

“We were ecstatic to have this little guy living in the house,” Emmert said.

Bats hibernate in caves, rock crevices or buildings from November to March, but then they must find a place where they can roost during the day and hunt for insects at night. That’s when bat houses are helpful.

As a wildlife communications specialist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Emmert sometimes conducts programs on building small bat houses from kits. But the couple was given a huge bat house as a gift, one with multiple chambers that’s like an apartment building for bats. That turned out to be ideal for Wyclef, since males of the little brown bat species tend to be loners who don’t like roommates.

Specs. Each chamber of the house is about 20 inches high. The wood on the inside is scored or textured so the bats can dig in and hang on with the claws on their feet. With this bat-friendly decor, Wyclef can spend his days snoozing upside down Emmert said bat houses should be put up as high as possible, at least 15 feet off the ground, because bats need some altitude before they can become airborne. For that reason, the bat house was put up next to the attic vent in the humans’ house.

There’s also a reason why the entrance to a bat house is at the bottom rather than on the front, like birdhouses. When Wyclef is ready to hunt bugs, usually a little after 9 p.m. on summer evenings, he “flings himself out of the opening at the bottom, drops down, makes a U-turn and comes up flying,” Emmert said.

Bat houses should face east or southeast so they don’t get too hot in the afternoon sun, she said. There should be no trees, vegetation or other obstacles in front of the house so that resident bats can swoop down and crawl up through the entrance.

Color is also important, Emmert said. Ohio has relatively mild temperatures for three-quarters of the year, so a neutral gray or greenish gray is good. In Canada, they want darker colors to absorb the heat, while reflective white is preferred in the South.

The Bat Conservation International website, batcon.org, has plans for building bat houses of various sizes. They also have a list of approved vendors who sell kits or already-assembled bat houses. The Bat Conservation & Management organization sells bat houses that range from one to four chambers, and “rocket box” houses that simulate a dead tree. Their website is batmanagement.com.

Gardening for bats. Another thing homeowners can do to help bats is plant native species that attract nectardrinking insects, like moths. Emmert likes Culver’s root, evening primrose and spiderwort. She recommends getting a book called “Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide” by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried.

Bats also need a source of water, but a bird bath simply won’t do, she said. Bats don’t land to drink, but zoom down and sip water while they fly. That means they need a pond, stream or other body of water that is long enough to accommodate their flight plan.

“Humans need bats, and for once, bats need humans,” Emmert said. “Do whatever you can to protect bat populations. Since everything is connected, you will be saving countless other species too.”

(Barbara Mudrak was a reporter for 25 years, most with the Akron Beacon Journal, and recently retired from teaching English and new writing at Alliance High School. She can be reached at editorial+barb@ farmanddairy.com.)

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Mon. Aug. 21, 2023 starting at 6:00 P.M. with extended bidding

OnLInE OnLy auctIOn

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Aug. 16, 2023

6:00 P.M. Real estate • 7:00 P.M. Contents w/ extended bidding.

Secluded 3 Bdrm Home & content S Auction

OutsidE Of WinfiEld lOcAtiOn: 7296 AngEl Rd nW dundEE , Oh 44624. diREctiOns: From Dover, take SR 516 E 4.4 miles, left on Winklepleck Road; left on Angel Rd. Property on left. Signs posted. online only auCtion

3 BdRm 2 BAth hOmE * 2 cAR gARAgE

1.3 AcREs * WOOdEd sEtting tuscARAWAs cOunty * sugARcREEk tOWnship gARAWAy schOOls * mf 235 tRActOR gun sAfE * hOusEhOld & misc lEgAl: Parcel # 56-01022.000 in Sugarcreek Twp, Tuscarawas County and Garaway Schools. Taxes are $804.19 per half yr. tERms: 10% nonrefundable down payment day of sale with the balance due at closing. 10% Buyers Premium. No financing or other contingencies, property sells “AS IS”. Any required inspections must be completed prior to bidding. Property sells subject to all articles of record. Taxes will be prorated to date of closing. Announcements made day of auction take precedence over all previous advertising and statements. Online Bidding Terms Apply. pARtiAl list: MF 235 diesel tractor w/ front end loader; 3-pt rear blade; log splitter; metal yard roller; milk can; 2-pc oak hutch; Whirlpool upright refrigerator; Browning Prosteel gun safe; bedroom set; Maytag washer & dryer; Dietz lanterns; socket sets; bench vise; hand tools; 20ga air compressor; Craftsman table saw; pipe wrenches; 14 ga pull behind lawn sprayer; floor jacks; chains; 5,000 wa generator; Miller thunderbolt 225 welder; acetylene tanks; file cabinets; & more nOtE: Please visit Kaufman-auctions.com to view the complete catalog, view photos & to bid. cOntEnt tERms: Online terms apply, 10% buyer’s premium.

Welcome to your dream oasis!

This three-bedroom, two-bath home with a spacious garage rest on a 1.3acre wooded lot, offering the perfect blend of tranquility and convenience. Inside, you will find everything you need to make this your own. Kitchen with lots of cabinetry, full bath, large bedrooms with lots of storage space and plenty of living area. Downstairs you will find a partially finished area with rec room with woodburner, full bath and laundry room. Large storage area off the garage to used as a workshop or storage. If you desire peaceful solitude amidst nature, don’t miss this one! Full personal property list to follow.

Auction by order of: Geoffrey Moser kAufmAn REAlty & AuctiOns (330) 602-4111 kate Overton, Realtor (330) 204-9339 kate@kaufmanrealty.com

Ray yoder, Realtor/Auctioneer (330) 204-0110 ray.yoder@kaufmanrealty.com

Cadiz, OH • Wed. Aug. 23, 2023 starting at 3:00 P.M.