Bats are not really the first things that come to mind when we talk about house pets. Some of us can’t even imagine them not hanging upside-down inside a cave. Many homeowners consider them a nuisance, which they can be, and there are animal control professionals that specialize in getting them off of people’s properties. But, there is actually more to these winged, nocturnal mammals than many of us may realize.

Why bats aren’t necessarily the worst neighbors

Because bats are insectivores, they are awesome at getting rid of unwanted pests in your property. They dine on mosquitoes, moths, gnats and other insects that may otherwise lead to debilitating diseases, such as malaria, or make your garden plants suffer.

Speaking of gardens, bat excrement also makes excellent natural fertilizer, which many ‘green-living’ enthusiasts would surely appreciate. Enrich your plants with nutrients from bat guano tea, which you can make by simply allowing the excrement to sit in water overnight. The following day, you can use the mixture to water flowers, herbs and other plants in your insect-free garden.

Why you should keep bats out of your house

When you come to think of it, bats can be the ultimate gardening buddies. Unfortunately, they are not as pleasant at being house guests. Some bats may carry rabies – although not in amounts as high as those in raccoons and skunks, it still makes getting bit by them more risky. So, if you haven’t dealt with a bat infestation in your house yet, be sure to keep your bedroom door windows closed, especially when you go to sleep.

Also, because the warm season gets them more active, female bats would not only come to your house to roost or litter, but also to reproduce. There’s no need to tell you that once they’ve built a colony in your attic, they can be so much harder to drive away. Not to mention that you’d feel less comfortable about using your own attic once your supposed ‘guests’ are completely settled in.

How to keep bats around but not inside

So, all in all, bats are actually great to have around, but only on the outside of your house. You can make this happen by sealing cracks, holes and gaps around the building through which they could enter. If there are already bats settling in your attic, however, you should either call a professional to goad them out or install bat valves – equipment which allows bats to exit through, but not to go back in – on every entry point yourself.

As bats are slowly becoming more endangered in many areas, luring them into your property may even turn out to be the bigger challenge. One thing you can do to attract them is to build them bat houses up in your trees, which also helps in keeping them out of your house.