The newly installed bat house at Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve is a three chamber nursery house that can house up to three hundred bats. The house was built according to specs from Bat Conservation International by Dave Flynn, a wood smith and LBC friend. The pivot-pole Bat House Mounting System specs came from Bat Belfrys Inc. The system allows the bat house to be lowered for required maintenance. The bat house is facing east to southeast in order to provide the most sun and heat.
Many possible Wildflower sites were researched for the bat house placement. One key goal was to ensure that there was significant distance from neighboring condominiums as well as the walking trail paths. Bats are insectivores, eating as many as 1,000 insects per hour. They consume about half their body weight each night.
The selected location site is on high ground west of Turtle pond along the outflow channel to Long Pond. Although we may not see them often, bats are an important piece of the ecosystem. The bat house measures in excess of 12 feet high, so the bats can naturally “fall” out and begin flight before encountering the ground. We will be monitoring the house in anticipation of any new arrivals.