Bat House Forum

[LarryH]

We're travelling throughut the southwest, and we stopped in a little town of Wickenburg, Arizona, for a night.  While unloading the car at the motel, a bat soared right past me, between me and the parking lot light.  I stopped and watched for a while, and noticed that there were 5 bats circling the lights looking for bugs.  These bats are large, with a wingspan of probably 10 to 12 inches.  I talked with the night clerk of the motel, and he said they have a lot of them, and sometimes the guests complain about them "bothering" them as they are walking across the parking lot. He said he has had them get in his house and garage, but if he leaves the door open they always go back out.

Anyone have any idea what these bats are?  They were fascinating to watch, since they flew in and out, around us as we were unpacking the car.

 

[Eumops67]

Hello Larry from Dayton!! I lived in Centerville for just barely under a year & luved that area while i was there........fossil collected Oh & Ind. many days off wurk!!

Now back to your question----I would say you were watching Myotis can't pinpoint which species because there are a few(at least 4) to choose from around Wickyburg area,plus they look so similar to each other it's best to say "Myotis" .I live in Phx metro area & am very many times going thru Wicky to Herp/photo critterz north + sw of there 40+/- miles & always from April to Oct. see Bats & Nighthawks(sometimes both at same lights,billboards) feeding at a very high % of them I pass by.......

If you are coming back that way stop at the rest area south of Wicky going back down 60 towards Phx.- the 1 on right side 1 mile south after Hassyampa preserve.
Park & watch up at the orange lights by the restrooms........you will be entertained by Myotis as long as you want,if you have a detector it definately makes it wayyyy more fun!!!(trust me!!) I have a pic or 2 of them in webshots(linked in my profile) from a few yrs ago.My buddy & I stop here to see them when its night time after our "field trips" all spring/summer.

I would take pics of the Bats in my Bat houses,but was told a month ago by my local Bat biologist "Bat houses do not seem to work in AZ","don't know why,but they don't" we guessed it's the "Dry Heat".....100+ all late spring/summer till Oct.

I built 2 different size houses(hybrids of BCI,other designs & my own) & 1 will be in Tenn & other in NC(TN ex farm property & NC new house) so hopefully someone will move in that side of country!!

Cool to see someone in here asked about AZ Bats! I thought I was the only 1 to enjoy them.

[Joe Spencer]

Hey fantastic stuff here! With Arizona's 28 species, they rank quite high in bat diversity!  Pallid bats are often found under bridges roosting finding the temperature there quite suitable.  Bat houses successful in Arizona should be mounted together with dark houses being favored in the winter and white houses being favored in the spring/summer.  Of course proximity to water is always a factor for those insectivorous bats which consider bat houses suitable.  I believe concrete bat houses erected in arizona would be welcomed by our friends...:cool: 

[LarryH]

Hello Larry from Dayton!! I lived in Centerville for just barely under a year & luved that area while i was there........fossil collected Oh & Ind. many days off wurk!!

We do a lot of that!  We are avid RV'ers, and spend a lot of time outdoors doing such things.

Now back to your question----I would say you were watching Myotis can't pinpoint which species because there are a few(at least 4) to choose from around Wickyburg area,plus they look so similar to each other it's best to say "Myotis" .I live in Phx metro area & am very many times going thru Wicky to Herp/photo critterz north + sw of there 40+/- miles & always from April to Oct. see Bats & Nighthawks(sometimes both at same lights,billboards) feeding at a very high % of them I pass by.......

If you are coming back that way stop at the rest area south of Wicky going back down 60 towards Phx.- the 1 on right side 1 mile south after Hassyampa preserve.
Park & watch up at the orange lights by the restrooms........you will be entertained by Myotis as long as you want,if you have a detector it definately makes it wayyyy more fun!!!(trust me!!) I have a pic or 2 of them in webshots(linked in my profile) from a few yrs ago.My buddy & I stop here to see them when its night time after our "field trips" all spring/summer.

I would take pics of the Bats in my Bat houses,but was told a month ago by my local Bat biologist "Bat houses do not seem to work in AZ","don't know why,but they don't" we guessed it's the "Dry Heat".....100+ all late spring/summer till Oct.

When I checked the Maberry bat house site (http://www.maberrybat.com/where.htm##), it shows that he has sold bat houses to 25 persons in Arizona, so they must work there.

I built 2 different size houses(hybrids of BCI,other designs & my own) & 1 will be in Tenn & other in NC(TN ex farm property & NC new house) so hopefully someone will move in that side of country!!

Cool to see someone in here asked about AZ Bats! I thought I was the only 1 to enjoy them.

It is cool to see that you are in Glendale -- we were on our way from Kingman (where we were visiting my brother) to Glendale (where we were visiting our son) when we went through Wicky.  Small world, eh?  Ha!

[LarryH]

Hey fantastic stuff here! With Arizona's 28 species, they rank quite high in bat diversity!  Pallid bats are often found under bridges roosting finding the temperature there quite suitable.  Bat houses successful in Arizona should be mounted together with dark houses being favored in the winter and white houses being favored in the spring/summer.  Of course proximity to water is always a factor for those insectivorous bats which consider bat houses suitable.  I believe concrete bat houses erected in arizona would be welcomed by our friends...:cool: 

The next day, we were talking with some local people, and they were telling us that bats are everywhere in town and they are glad to have them.  Oddly, though, they had no idea where they roost or if anybody puts up bat houses.

[Eumops67]

Well I can tell you they aren't under the Hassyampa bridge(long big 1 in middle of "town") ,My buddy & I checked under the whole length.We did see 3 Javelinas(peccaries) that he got scared by 1st.....:D

Also am sure Bat houses probably would work best up in higher elevations,not in the Desert section....trust me.............it gets HOTTTT :shock:,searing steak hot!!

1 thing is sure......there are so many places I can see them--culverts,bridges,tunnels,lakes,flyin over Desert,over washes,etc.....I am not missing entertainment from them :P!!!!!!

But if anyone does know anyone here with houses that work I would be Very willing to build more for them---plus I could go visit more of my Furry Flyin Buddies!!!