The Bat Relocation Project

Dakota State University has recently provided new housing with amazing campus views for some of it residents. Last year, the faculty and a few students became quite interested in the local bat population inhabiting East Hall and Beadle Hall. Professor Angela Behrends became quite intrigued by the winged residents when one of them interrupted her art history class that was being held in East Hall. Behrends with the help of other faculty and students decided to develop a system so that the bats would leave the buildings and be unable to return inside. Not wanting to be heartless savages, they also wanted to provide the bats with alternative lodging. They eventually decided upon adding some artificial roosts or homes for them to live in. Through more research, Behrends and her honors art classes established a way to remove the bats from the school buildings and found the website bestbathouse.com which sells permanent bat houses and also provides instructions for the installation of them. With a fund raiser held by Behrends, her honors class students, DSU, Madison Area Arts Council and several community members, the groups were able to raise $500 that was used to purchase two four-chamber nursery roosts for the bats.

The bat houses are now up and ready for their new residents to move in and get comfortable for the Spring Semester.

Photo Credit: http://bestbathouses.com/