Will a bat house prevent bats in your home

Let's be perfectly honest, bats aren't something you want to come face to face with when going about your merry way inside your own home. And yet, it's quite a common occurrence for homeowners in the United States to find a bat (or even, a colony of bats) living inside their attic or basement. So it's natural to wonder about what preventive measures you might take to stop these things from happening. Even if bats aren't bad per se.

Did you know that bats are actually considered beneficial?

Bats are considered an important and beneficial creature for the welfare of our environment because of their dietary habits. Since bats largely consume pest insects, they help keep their populations down to a reasonable level, thus protecting the environment, crops, and so on. This is why, in some places, bats are protected by law. For example, you are not allowed to attempt exclusion if you discover a bat maternity colony roosting inside your home, and can be persecuted by law if you do so, anyway. 

Still, bats are carriers of disease, and their presence on your property can put you, your family, and even your pets at risk. So it stands to reason you would want to do whatever lies in your power to keep them away. But how do you do that?

What are bat houses?

Bat houses, also sometimes referred to as bat boxes, are these man-made constructions that are meant to invite bat colonies to roost on one's property. They are usually wooden external designs that are attached to the side of the house, or in the backyard, in a tree. The theory behind this is, if bats see these nice, secluded, and cool spaces to roost in, they will be less tempted to make a home inside of your attic. 

Depending on the level of skill you possess, or even the effort you want to put into the task, a bat house can be as simple as a plain wooden box, or be composed of a more complex construction. These bat houses are fairly successful in attracting bat families and can constitute a cool and kind hobby. 

But will they prevent bats from roosting inside your home?

Unfortunately, the answer is no, they probably will not. While some prevention sites recommend installing a bat box to keep bats away from your home, evidence is fairly limited that this might actually be an efficient prevention method. Usually, if bats are already roosting in the area, more bats may be attracted, and eventually, end up in your home. Which was exactly what you were trying to prevent. 

Also, a bat house wouldn't really protect you from any of the dangers associated with bats, such as the presence of guano (bat feces), which can be infected with various diseases, that you would then inhale. In fact, with bats constantly coming and going to this external location, there's an even greater chance of guano accumulating, and then being ingested by your pet, or even worse, your child.

So should you build a bat house?

As we mentioned earlier, bats can be a great visitor to have on your property, because they can protect you and your crops/garden from invasive flies and other such critters. So in that sense, inviting bats to your property might be a great idea. 

And while the bat house won't really prevent bats from roosting inside your property, it might still be a nice idea to install one, anyway. Building one can be a fun activity, and having bats on your property can even be a smart idea!