THE DETERMINATION OF BAT PREFERENCE BETWEEN
INSULATED AND NONINSULATED BAT HOUSES



Eric A. Hansen

School of Science and Natural Resources
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 U.S.A.




Abstract. Bats are becoming popular as an environmentally
friendly pest control.  Therefore, bat houses are also becoming
popular.  This experiment was designed to determine if bats
prefer insulated or noninsulated bat houses.  Also, to determine
if there is an internal temperature difference between insulated
and noninsulated bat houses.  The bat species targeted was the
little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) .  Sixteen houses were set up.
Eight houses were insulated with half inch thick Celotex rigid
insulation.  Eight houses were left uninsulated. They were all
painted black.  They were placed on buildings in pairs.  The
experiment was conducted from June to mid-September.  The houses
were checked for droppings every two weeks.  One insulated and
one noninsulated house showed usage.  To compare the internal
temperatures, one of each type of house was placed in direct
sunlight.  The internal temperatures were recorded at 9am, 12pm,
3pm, and 6pm, for 7 days.  A paired t-test was used with an alpha
level of .05.  No temperature difference was found between the
insulated and noninsulated houses.  Since only two houses were
occupied by bats, no preference was determined.



SELECTED REFERENCES



Tuttle, M.D., D.L. Hensley. 1993.  The Bat House Builders
Handbook. Bat Conservation International, Inc., Austin,TX.

Tuttle, M.D. 1988.Americas Neighborhood Bats. University of
Texas Press, Austin,TX.