HE: ET Fm SOME INFORMATION HOw HOT -- CET 7 ABOUT BATS Excerpts from Understanding Bats by Kim Williams and Rob Mies What good are bats? Bats provide humans with many benefits. Micro- bats eat millions of pounds of insects nightly , saving farm- § ers millions of dollars in pesticides, and saving the average § home owner a great deal of money in insect repellant and electricity for running expensive bug zappers. Bats also pollinate plants, disperse seeds and pro- vide food for natural predators. Do bat houses really work? Yes. Once a colony is established, they will use the ; same house every year. In cold climates the bats will leave § the bat house in the fall to hibernate and will return in the spring to raise their young. Where and how do I place the bat house? Bat houses should be placed on a tree, pole, house, | barn, garage, or any other structure tat is at least 15 feet tall, Heme The higher the bat house is placed, the better your chances of attracting bats. When erecting a bat house, you should keep in mind that houses attached to trees usually attract bats one season later than houses attached to structures or poles, probably because the tree canopy conceals the houses. Two bat boxes placed back to back on a pole offer the great- est chance of attracting bats. Houses should be positioned so that they face south or southeast, preferably so that they get morning sunlight. Bats like their houses very warm. If you live in the north Ee Pe Epes Walker's Greenhouse ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, fo SHRUBS, ROSES & 42.7 | HANGING BASKETS Come and check out our wide selection! 1 Open 8 to 7 - Monday to Friday 8 to 5 - Saturday & Sunday County Rd 17 1 km East of Milford Phone 476-1118 RES EERIE a RS A a EES TS EE WEST NILE! Take the all-natural route and create a habitat for fish, birds, bats or insects that eat mosquito as larvae or adults. . (Quote from page 13, May 19, 2003 issue of MACLEAN'S magazine) BAT HOUSES $25 Bird feeders $40 Bluebird houses $25 Flicker houses $20 Walter Evans 476-5485 walmer@sympaticio.ca you can paint the exterior of the bat house black to maxi- mize the house's heat absorption. Be sure to use non-toxic paint and never paint the inside of the house. + The above information is copied from "Understanding Bats" by Kim Williams and Rob Mies. Cop- ies of the book can be obtained from: The Organization for Bat Conservation, 2300 Epley Road, Williamston, Michigan E-mail obcbats@aol.com (517) 655-9200 1 CLASSICAL, CELTIC, OR POPULAR MUSIC § Do you want to learn te play violin? Book a FREE TRIAL LESSON with 'master fiddler' ERNIE NEUFELD Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto (ARCT) in violin performance o Bachelor of Music Education o Member of the Academy Players Trio o Co-founder of Soup Harbour Strings To book your free lesson, call 476-8401