Here at the Jackson Township Bat Habitat Project, there are 4 bat boxes mounted on two utility poles on the eighty-two acres of Jackson Park. Two are large bat boxes, which can hold 250 bats each. The other 2 are small bat boxes, which can hold 60 bats each. The park also is the location of the Jackson Township Hall, a baseball field, tennis courts, volleyball court, shelter, play equipment and two ponds, about 10 acres and 30 acres in size. My bat boxes are located on the east side of the east lake.

Why Bats?

Bats are insectivores. They eat bugs like mosquitos which we don’t like biting us. There are billions of mosquitos. You may think a bat eats 10-20 mosquitos every night and bats don’t make a difference in the mosquito population, but bats eat about 2,000 each night, which makes a difference in the mosquito population. By building bat boxes, you can help the food chain stay in balance and get rid of our pests (mosquitos).

Bat Description

Bats are the only mammals that fly. There are seven (7) bats found in Minnesota; big brown bat (Eptesicus fucus), eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrelle subflavus), eastern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugas), red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). The big brown bat is the biggest cave bat in Minnesota. If you look at its wing and tail, it has no fur. The eastern pipistrelle has a yellowish tint on its fur and rounded ears. The Northern myotis is often times mistaken for little brown myotis. Northern myotis has slightly longer and narrower ears than a little brown myotis. A Red bat has fully furred ears and reddish fur. Hoary bats are the biggest bats in Minnesota. They have rounded ears. The seventh bat in Minnesota is the silvered-hair bat. This bat has short ears and naked wings.

Meningitis and West Nile

Meningitis and West Nile are two diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Both of these diseases are dangerous and can lead to death. Having bats eat mosquitoes lowers our chances of getting these diseases.

Bat Habitat

Bats live in crevices. They can be artificial (bat boxes) or natural (tree cavities and caves). Why do we have bat boxes? Many bats depend on tree cavities for shelter and a breeding ground. Since their habitat is being destroyed there are fewer places for them to go. All the bats could eventually die. By building boxes, bats have more places to live and breed so the bat population increases at a steady rate.

Large Bat Box Design                    Small Bat Box Design

Large Nursery Box
Photo by: Calvin Butchkoski, Pennsylvania Game Commission

Most bats are insectivores. They eat insects like grasshoppers, mosquitoes, dragonfly, moths, etc.  Bats prefer to be close to the water where their main diet is more abundant.

Bat Box Tips

Here are some guidelines for putting up and maintaining bat boxes:

• Hang boxes within a quarter mile from water.
• The box should be fifteen feet above the ground. (The higher the better)
• Place the box where it can get at least 7 hours of direct sunlight each day.
• Put the boxes in a site where there is a abundance of insects.
• Place the box at least 10 feet away from obstacles (e.g., branches buildings, etc.).
• Make sure your bat box is airtight

What Can I Do?

You may be asking yourself, what can I do? There are many things one can do to improve an area for bats. One of the quickest ways is to set out bat boxes. You can also advertise the importance of bats and bat habitat to your community and school. Encourage others to build a bat habitat of their own. These are just a few of the many ways to improve an area for bats.

Appreciation and Thanks

Thanks to all the people that helped make this project happen, including Troop #218 Scouts and their parents, Scoutmasters Steve Thomas and Wally Kopisca, Advancement Chair Jerry Blomquist, and my Parents, Mark and Patty Banwart.

Project Sponsors

Jackson Township, CH Carpenter Lumber, Yarusso’s Hardware Company, Hirshfield’s Paint, CPM, Inc., Shakopee Public Utilities, and Boy Scout Troop #218 Bat Habitat Eagle Service Project Volunteers.

© Corel Corporation 1997

© Copyright 2003 by Paul Banwart, All Rights Reserved