Are Bat Boxes an Effective Method for Controlling Mosquitoes?

Are bat boxes an effective way of controlling the mosquito population around your home? Recently, many homeowners have been purchasing bat boxes to control the mosquito population around their homes.  Yes, bats do feed on mosquitoes, but ultimately are the other risks associated with bats worth it?  The experts at Arrow Exterminators offer some words of wisdom on this topic. 

Bats are known for being hard to attract to one location, so often times purchasing bat boxes is not a guarantee that they will stay. “It takes time for colonies of bats to find the boxes, and for them to establish the colony, so it is definitely not a quick fix,” said Aaron Henry, Service Center Manager of Arrow Exterminators’ Lawrenceville Home Services Center.

Bat boxes can also contribute to many other health-related problems. Since bats often carry serious diseases, such as rabies, there’s a chance they might spread these diseases to your home. “If you put a bat box close to your home, what is keeping them from coming into your home?” says Henry.  It has also been noted that mosquitoes that carry diseases, such as the Zika Virus, are active during the day, when bats are generally roosting. 

The experts at Arrow suggest taking other measures to protect your home from mosquitoes such as removing standing water from flower pots, using an insect repellant with (DEET) and wearing long sleeves when outside.  Sorry batman, we appreciate your help, but let’s leave the exterminating to the professionals!