UF Bat Houses

Category: Wildlife refuge in Gainesville, Florida

Address: Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA

Opening hours

Sunday: 6–9PM

Monday: 6–9PM

Tuesday: 6–9PM

Wednesday: 6–9PM

Thursday: 6–9PM

Friday: 6–9PM

Saturday: 6–9PM

Reviews

Merrideth Schaefer

Jun 29, 2022

One of my favorite things to do in the state of Florida! Until experiencing the bat house, I never fully appreciated bats. It's a really beautiful area to walk around beforehand, exploring Lake Alice, and the gardens. The big show however is the bats at sunset!

Loren Rogers

Apr 26, 2022

So cute and such a fun experience. They came out around dusk (like 20 minutes after sunset for us). There were SO MANY. They came out from both bat houses and the trees behind. The best spot to view seems to be in front of the middle and last bat house. They haven't really moved into the one on the left yet.

dx d

Apr 18, 2022

Arrived about an hour early. Walked down to see the beautiful chapel on the other side of the road. Architectural lines reminded me of Frank Lloyd Wright. Unusual spot so close to the water in back. After pondering the usual location walked back to the bats then took a look at the student garden next door. Was somewhat jealous my garden isn’t doing as well as theirs. A few benches are set up as a small public viewing area in front of the bat houses. As I sat down to wait I noticed a couple of hawks waiting on the fence enclosure to the bat houses. Looked like the hawks were waiting for a tasty bat snack. Apparently they didn’t get the memo not to hunt the bats because as soon as the early bird bats came out the hawks were on them like white on rice. Make note, hawks are faster than bats. After their snack they got back on the fence to await the second course. Bats swarm at dusk, the time between twilight and complete darkness or the time you better have your butt in the house for the night when you were a kid. They start coming out a few at a time then suddenly they are coming out in steady waves following each other in two directions headed for the same place. Thousands upon thousands. It’s nothing short of amazing to watch. Then it’s over. They are gone. And you’re left sitting there in awe of what you just witnessed.

Tyrone

Oct 13, 2021

The UF Bat Houses is home to hundreds of thousands of bats that emerge on warm evenings just after sunset in order to feed. It's a surreal experience. Free parking and you can go every night as long as it's not raining or super windy. Serious Batman vibes.....all that was missing was the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer! Highly recommend checking this out in person.

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Questions & Answers

Do the bats come out if it’s raining?

Joyce Hodges | Sep 8, 2021
UF Bat Houses | Sep 8, 2021

Severe weather will affect the bats' willingness to fly that night. Light rain or a quick cloudburst will delay their departure or reduce the numbers that leave the roost. A heavy storm will likely impact their night feeding schedule significantly.

We have a bat problem with hundreds of bats getting into the walls of my house .Will UF come out and build and monitor a bat house on my property in Live Oak, FL?

Rhonda Hall | Sep 8, 2021
UF Bat Houses | Sep 8, 2021

Hi Rhonda - You could try contacting Lubee Bat Conservancy for info and recommendations on services that can help you with your bat population. They're a great local resource committed to bat education, conservation and research!

I live off a fresh water canal on a normal lot size in a neighborhood. Is our yard large enough to put a bat house on? We would need to mount it on a pole. I don't think it would work on the side of the house.

Michele King | Jul 10, 2022
Dice Family | Jul 10, 2022

Must look up the proper cardinal direction to face the bat house with the sun and make sure it is over an area where the guano can fall to the ground and not be a nuisance.

Is there some type of food to put in New bat houses to lure them

Marietta Riessland | Sep 8, 2021
Morris Sullivan | Sep 8, 2021

There's an information kiosk there that explains how long it took to establish the population there. It was several years. Bats mostly eat insects, like gnats and mosquitoes. So it's hard to attract them to a bat house. But if you put one up, once bats start finding it, it will fill up.

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Every year at this time bats are finding a way to get in somewhere through my metal roof. You can hear them in my wall in my home and there must be hundreds. We have tried fixing the places we think they come in to no avail. We need help!!

Rhonda Hall | Sep 8, 2021
UF Bat Houses | Sep 8, 2021

Hi Rhonda - You could try contacting Lubee Bat Conservancy for info and recommendations on services that can help you with your bat population. They're a great local resource committed to bat education, conservation and research! Best to look into this now. Bat maternity season begins April 15 and runs through August 15. Exclusions of bat colonies must be completed before the season starts.

How many bats at UF bat houses?

Diane Maltzahn | Sep 9, 2019
Jennifer Badeaux | Sep 9, 2019

450,000 - 500,000

Where is the best place to stand here, for a 3yr old? I want to take my kids but, for obvious reasons, don't want the to be covered in feces. I want them to ENJOY it 😊

Charlotte Lawrence | Sep 9, 2019
Janis Justice | Sep 9, 2019

By the lake across from the bat houses, is the best place to see them fly, but from there you can't see them exit the houses. Be careful of Alligators at the lake. Sometimes they come up on the bank. Watch the child closely if you stand there.

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I need to replace my bat box, mine is deteriorating. Florida west coast. I have appx 40 to 50 bats. When? How? to change out the box and not run off my bats?

Erica Cave | Sep 9, 2018
E R SHEIKH | Sep 9, 2018

New box should be installed adjacent for 2-3 weeks. Some bats will migrate to new box. Then remove the old box one hour after sunset.

Are they there year round or certain times of year?

sakadula | Sep 9, 2018
David M. Fisher | Sep 9, 2018

They're there year round, but will only come out if it's warm enough ( I think above 65 degrees F).

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