Do you know of a bat roost in Illinois? We’d love to hear about it and add information on the roost to our growing database of information about Illinois bats. Signs of a bat roost include seeing bats flying in and out of a tree or structure, seeing the bats within a structure, or guano piles inside a structure.
If you aren’t sure how to get a count of the bats, the best way to do it is to go outside a little before sunset and count the bats as they are exiting.
If you are interested in installing a bat box…
The most common roost option is the rocket box design, you can find more information on Dr. O’Keefe’s website and at Bat Conservation International.
If you have a bat box that isn’t being used, that likely means either two things:
There isn’t a lot of bat activity in that area due to lack of water, insects or tree cover from predators
The bats have enough natural roost options which is a good thing!