Bat cages

I have thirteen feeders in my yard and in the summertime nights they get attacked by the endangered nectar eating bats. They are sloppy drinkers and their slurping always leaves nectar residue on the feeders and the floors that attracts ants and bees. 

For the feeders near the house patio and pool area I made cages and positioned around the feeders to prevent the bats from draining.

The cages are made from 4’ x 8’ ‘Remesh Sheet’ purchased from Home Depot. (I modified the design based upon the concept from the Hummingbird Monitoring Network.) I cut it, bend it, wire it all together and add a hanger chain. The 6”x 6” opening is ample for hummingbird access but not bat wings.

The bats are welcome to empty the other feeders. They are seasonal and eventually migrate to Mexico in the fall. I do not mind feeding them or my woodpeckers.

Once my next door neighbor had the Fish & Wildlife people tag/ mark bats they were catching via a mist net. That evening they marked 34 in two hours. They were very careful when handing the bats---both for the bats safety and human safety.