Bat House Forum

[SamuelWilson]

If we have anyone in this group who has performed their own experiments with mercury vapor lights (as an attractant for bugs and therefore bats), then please reply to this thread.

I am looking to hear from people with hands on experience. It is not necessary to post links to other places online that have information regarding this. I am only interested in hearing from people who have actually performed the experiments themselves. I have attached a photo.



I hope the photo displays for everyone to see.

Samuel Wilson [url=mailto:pm_msn@msn.com]pm_msn@msn.com[/url]

[SamuelWilson]

Tonight I noticed that I have 3 green tree frogs hanging out by the light. They can just sit near the light and get some easy meals.

[SamuelWilson]

I noticed that I had Green Anoles (lizards) hanging around the bat boxes today. I guess the insects that sleep on the wall near the mercury vapor light make easy meals for the Green Anoles. You would think that if I can attract treefrogs and lizards with my mercury vapor light, then I should be able to attract some Mexican Free-tails.

I did see the usual pair of Mexican Free-tails feeding over my pond tonight, before flying east and disappearing as they usually do.

[Joe Spencer]

Samuel what is directly below the bat houses?  Grass, pavement, dirt?

[SamuelWilson]

sidewalk and mowed lawn

[Terry Lobdell]

I have not done any actual experiments, but I do have a sodium vapor light. I have read that mercury vapor lights attract more insects than sodium vapor. I get a few bats around my sodium vapor light, usually 1 or 2. One night last summer I had approx. 6 little browns fluttering around it.........

 

This subject brings up an observation I had last summer while checking my Aunt's house where I had excluded a few big browns. As I was looking at the places around her chimney that I had plugged previously, I noticed some big brown guano on her window sill.........I thought maybe they were looking for places to gain entry, but then thought maybe they were after moths attracted to the light from the window. I'm thinking now that it probably was the moths around the window that attracted the big browns...........

[SamuelWilson]

Terry, thanks for your reply. All the information, no matter, how minor of a detail is helpful. I just came in from outside, I was inspecting the wall near the mercury vapor light to see what type of insects I was attracting. I noticed that I have attracted quite a few of the Salt Marsh Moths (1 3/4 - 2 3/4 in. with black spotted white wings). Last night I had attracted a Giant Leapord Moth. As usual, I have at least one Green Treefrog on the wall catching insects. When I looked up into the bat boxes, it had quite a few Salt Marsh Moths in them. I have decided to call it the "Salt Marsh Moth Box".

[BatMan]

Sam, Do I detect a hint of frustration about the bats not moving right into your new bat boxes ?:D:D:D

I have been trying to attract bats for coming up on two years now with no luck....well other than manually placing 2 rescued bats from Indiana in one of them.

Maybe you could build a small house that could be moved around your property and put in a direct flight path of the bats that fly around the pond.  I have actually thought about doing that but I don't think I want my neighbors to know I'm that bat crazy.