I’d like to buy and install a bat house in my backyard. What should I look for, and where should I place it?

Awareness and interest in attracting bats to the yard and garden is no coincidence. Not only are bats fascinating creatures, but they also provide considerable natural pest control. Bats eat enormous quantities of insects (up to 50% of their body weight every night), including agricultural and forest pests as well as mosquitos. Of the eight species of bats in New Hampshire, two of them: little brown and big brown bats, can often be enticed to take up residency around human dwellings. Successfully attracting bats to the backyard requires quality foraging habitat and good roosting sites. With populations of tree cavity roosting bat species like little and big brown bats in decline due to the effects of White Nose Syndrome and habitat loss, properly constructed and placed bat houses can be an important factor in assisting their survival.Buying a Bat HouseBat houses can be found for sale at a great number of locations, but they’re not all created equally. Many bat houses are poorly designe...