"You Should Love Bats"

"You Should Love Bats" BIRD CONTROL Bird Control 29-1-35 Ron Scheller, Mt. Olive, Ill., runs a motorcycle repair shop during the day but he moonlights as a "nuisance animal trapper" for local residents and police. Recently he's found himself dealing frequently with bats. Scheller follows all the legal regulations regarding the capture of animals, releasing many of them in designated areas. "Mostly I capture raccoons, possums, groundhogs, and squirrels that make their way into undesired places," says Scheller. But bats can get into places no other animal can, and releasing them somewhere else isn't going to solve the problem. His solution is to provide a nesting place for bats without letting them into the structure. "Once you find out how the bats are entering a building, you can put up barriers that will let them get out of the building, but prevent them from getting back in," he says. "With West Nile and other viruses out there, having bats around can be a real asset because they eat mosquitoes. So I came up with a simple bat house anyone can make. This allows you to have the bats around without them invading your home," he notes. Basically, his bat house consists of a narrow enclosure that mounts on the side of the house or chimney. Scheller would be willing to provide plans for his bat houses for free, but he would appreciate a tip for mailing costs. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Scheller , 308 3rd South St., Mt. Olive, Ill. 62069 (ph 217 999-3123).

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