Burlap Bag Bat Homes

Burlap Bag Bat Homes MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pest Animals 30-3-16 Michael Spadoni found a new way to attract insect-eating bats by accident. "I hung some burlap sacks over the rafters in my small barn. When I pulled a bag off sometime later, I found a couple bats in there between the layers," says the Rail Road Flat, Calif. man. He set about purposely making a bat home by laying wood strips across the rafters and draping cut-open burlap bags or carpet scraps over them to create a series of curtains. "The bats just need material they can cling to and crawl on. Six to 12 layers works well," he explains. "Location is important. You want these curtains to be attached to the rafters inside the building so they're well protected from the rain. They should also be close to, or against a south or southwest wall, because that's where the roof will be most warmed by the sun. Also, put them in buildings where the rafters are high up so you won't disturb the bats if you're working inside." Spadoni says he learned from experience that using burlap bags alone doesn't offer the bats enough insulation. They're kind of porous and drafty, he says, so he hangs a couple pieces of carpet or heavy fabric at each end of the line of burlap bags. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Michael Spadoni, Box 430, Rail Road Flat, Calif. 95248 (Michaeljack@volcano.net).

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