Bats, birds, and bugs...

[chukar]

To start off we have a lot of mosquitoes in a normal summer. Sometimes so thick it is ridiculous. (Not to say they are bigger or meaner than anywhere else, but they are what I would call bad.

So I have been planning some natural control methods. First is eliminating standing water wherever we can. That has helped over the past two summers, but the whole valley flood irrigates in the summer so the majority of that habitat is still there.

I have been planning to put some bat boxes up. We have a few bats around, but not near as many as I would like. I think the barn cats have a lot to do with that, but not really sure. So we have. Built some bat boxes and are looking for suggestions on the best places to hang them. Anyone had success in establishing bat colonies? Any mounting suggestions that seem to have worked and also any that maybe haven't?

Also been looking into putting up bird houses to help with mosquitoes, but mainly flies. Suggestions on any of that?

Thanks.

 

[plumber_greg]

Aren't you afraid of vampire bats sucking your blood out of your neck? gs

 

[chippie]

Martin Houses if there are Purple Martins in your area. They eat flying insects.

 

[WuTangHuck]

Bat houses are a great idea!
http://batconservation.org/drupal/where_to_hang

 

[ga.prime]

It has been my observation that Purple Martins eat more mosquito hawks than they do mosquitos.

 

[Black and Good]

It has been my observation that Purple Martins eat more mosquito hawks than they do mosquitos.

Just curious whats a Mosquito Hawk?? :hide:

 

[M5farm]

you probally know them as a dragon fly.

 

[Black and Good]

you probally know them as a dragon fly.

Ok, I never heard them called Skeeter Hawks. Yep,here their Dragon Flys or Snake Doctors.

 

[M5farm]

you probally know them as a dragon fly.

Ok, I never heard them called Skeeter Hawks. Yep,here their Dragon Flys or Snake Doctors.

us southern folk some times have to explain our words.LOL

 

[dun]

What we call a Mosquito Hawk is an insect that really looks a lot like a Mosquito just a lot bigger and no color to them. Dragon Flys are a lot bigger then a Mosquito Hawk and colored, around here green or blue.

 

[M5farm]

What we call a Mosquito Hawk is an insect that really looks a lot like a Mosquito just a lot bigger and no color to them. Dragon Flys are a lot bigger then a Mosquito Hawk and colored, around here green or blue.

I looked it up and we have those big skeeters here we just call them "big skeeters" all I know we've allways called Dragon flys mosquito hawks. A regional thing I guess.

 

[cowmilker]

The big skeeter lookalikes are crane flies.

 

[chippie]

When our kids were little, they called them wall bangers because when they get in the house they fly against the walls.

 

[brihop]

bat houses have to be at least 15 feet up to give them space to drop out and take flight. put them near a water source (like within 1/4 mile of a pond). Also you can put some bat crap from other colonies at the base of your new unoccupied house to help attract new residents. screen inside the chambers of the bat house helps them cling on. hope that helps!

 

[ga.prime]

What we call a Mosquito Hawk is an insect that really looks a lot like a Mosquito just a lot bigger and no color to them. Dragon Flys are a lot bigger then a Mosquito Hawk and colored, around here green or blue.

I looked it up and we have those big skeeters here we just call them "big skeeters" all I know we've allways called Dragon flys mosquito hawks. A regional thing I guess.

Thanks for explaining all that M5! You're right, it's a regional thing. Around here if someone says mosquito hawk they're talking about a dragonfly, but if you look up mosquito hawk in a book you'll see an insect that looks like a giant mosquito like dun said and we call them "giant skeeters" like you said. :lol2: .

 

[JSCATTLE]

We call dragon flies skeeter hawks too ! We have those giant mosquito looking critters and I've heard someone call them a mosquito hawk but I've never seen one eating a mosquito . My dad builds bat boxes out of used cedar fence boards 1x6 boards . He builds a box then puts several slats inside about a inch apart . Then he closes it except for a 1 inch gap on the bottom for them to enter .

 

[greybeard]

We call dragon flies skeeter hawks too ! We have those giant mosquito looking critters and I've heard someone call them a mosquito hawk but I've never seen one eating a mosquito . My dad builds bat boxes out of used cedar fence boards 1x6 boards . He builds a box then puts several slats inside about a inch apart . Then he closes it except for a 1 inch gap on the bottom for them to enter .

Sounds like something the red wasps would love to have around here. They'll take on a bat and win too.

Ugliest thing I ever saw around herewas a Dobson Fly Looks like a giant beetle with wings--and huge pinchers.
Their larvae are helgramites--which ain't exactly pretty either, but I hear make good fish bait.
http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2011/01/dobsonfly.html

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The bats were nearly wiped out (at least around here). They got "white nose disease". We are starting to see some around again.
Do you have barn swallows or tree swallows? We put up Blue Bird houses & we get a lot of tree swallows. They are great mosquito eaters.

 

[Nite Hawk]

Heard somewhere years ago that you could get ( buy )Dragon fly larva to plant in ponds.When they hatch out, Dragon flies are pretty good mosquito catchers believe it or not. Lots of time in the early evening I have watched them hover around us when we are outside, ( if the mosquitos let us come out in the evening that is!) and catch skeeters on the wing.
Bats well that is another story. Yes they are good skeeter catchers, but I don't like them around. We don't have much rabies in B.C at all, but the rabies that we have had usually are associated with bats.
Swallows -barn or cliff- are incredible mosquito catchers, so if they are around and not on the house, I usually let them be, and shoo cats off if they are bothering the birds. Get rid of squirrels, crows and magpies, they disturb your mosquito catcher birds and rob their nests of their young.
Believe it or not there is an automatic machine that is supposed to attract and suck up mosquitos. Expensive, but some people swear by them. They admit Carbon dioxide (via propane or dry ice I think )and have a small vacumm system that sucks up the "buggers" when they come to investigate the carbon dioxide which they think is animal breathe.
Know some of the neighbors have had them and some swear by them, but real expensive, and do some investigating the best machine before putting out your hard earned cash,
Nite Hawk