Why You WANT Bats to Call Your Property Home

If you see bats flying around your yard, get excited! No, you’re not going to see a real live vampire, but you may notice less mosquitoes buzzing around. That’s because bats are actually a form of natural insect control and enjoy feasting on these blood suckers!

A bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in just one hour! Over the course of one night, a single bat will consume between 6,000 and 8,000 mosquitoes. Studies have also shown that mosquitoes tend to avoid areas where bats are present all together. So welcoming these night time creatures to your yard can be very beneficial.


How do you create an environment suitable for bats? You need to provide them with food, water and shelter. Along with mosquitoes, bats will eat a variety of insects, so planting flowers that attract night-flying bugs is a great way to create a source of food. Keep your yard as natural as possible and don’t tear down those dead trees as they are an excellent shelter option for bats offering camouflage during the day when they sleep. Finally, adding a small pond or water feature to your garden if you don’t live near a natural water source will give bats the H2O they need to thrive.


There are two different groups of bats that can potentially call your yard home. Depending on how ideal the conditions are, you can either attract a colony of bats or bachelor bats. Bachelor bats are pretty much what they sound like, a few male bats that settle in. A colony is a family of bats complete with females and pups. Ideally you want to attract a whole colony so there are more bats to eat the mosquitoes!

One way to attract bats that goes beyond your natural habit is by buying or building a bat home! This will provide them with a safe place to rest when the moon dips and the sun rises. If you already have noticed bats flying around nearby at night, bat homes are also a great way to keep these nocturnal creatures from setting up house in places like your attic, barn or garage.


These warm-blooded mammals like to roost under the bark of a dead tree, so a bat house tries to mimic that environment by creating a narrow wooden space for bats to settle into. They are generally painted dark colors and placed somewhere that receives direct sunlight so the home can stay warm while the bats are sleeping during the day.

Whether you build or buy a home or naturally have an inviting yard for bats, these creatures are a welcome addition to your property. If you notice bats flying around above, you may also notice less mosquitoes flying around you!