Bats do not benefit tequila drinkers alone. Tropical bats are also key elements in rain forest ecosystems where they pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for numerous trees and shrubs. Another benefit that bats provide is all natural pest control. Worldwide, bats are the most important natural predators of night-f lying insects. Recognizing that bats help control insects and reduce the need for and expense of chemical pesticides, many farmers and vintners are now constructing bat houses or otherwise encouraging bats to reside on their property.
Homeowners also construct or purchase bat houses to attract bats for pest control.
Bat houses are often installed nearby a home or business to provide new lodging for bats evicted as unwelcome guests in the attic. For some species, the crevice or cavity that a house provides is similar to the leaf, bark, cavity, or cliffface that they naturally roost in or under. Similarity to natural roosts is not the only attractive feature of a home. You and your neighbors probablv provide bug-attracting lights, ponds, or open areas for bats to forage over and around. Bats can lower their body temperature and metabolic activity in response to varying levels of activity, a process called torpor.