Bat House Mosquito Mitigation Project Project Overview The summer of 2019 and 2020 the City of Brandon will be implementing a bat house mosquito mitigation project. The goal of the project is twofold. One to increase the number of bats in Brandon as the little brown bat is endangered. Secondly to feed on mosquitoes to reduce the probability of the City spraying. Benefits of bats Bats are more than just a Halloween mascot they provide several benefits: Bats consume 30-50% of their weight in insects in a single night Pregnant bats eat 100% of her body weight each night Bats eat moths, beetles and mosquitoes and aide with agriculture and forestry pest management Bats in Canada are fairly small In the U.S. it is estimated that bats provide insect control services worth a few billion a year Bat myths “Blind as a bat” is a myth they have great vision. They rely on echolocation to find their prey Bats want to drink your blood- Only three out of 1200 bat species are vampire bats and they do not live in Canada or the U.S. What to do if I find a bat? Do not panic and Do NOT touch a bat or any other wild animal. Notify Brandon Animal Control 204.729.2345 Steps to take if you find a bat (249 KB) Plans to build a bat house There are many bat house options to choose from that you can find on-line. We found this option from Bat Conservation International that you can use. Bat House Plans Single Chamber and Nursery Chamber (870KB) Where and how to install a bat house (356 KB) Locations of bat houses on city property Wheat City Golf Course Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre Sponsors: Thank you to Home Depot for facilitating and hosting two successful bat house workshops this spring!
