Is That the Bat Signal?
You may have seen a new addition to our hillside recently. Late last year, a group of BioTEC members requested permission to have a bat box installed on our property behind the Hillsboro facility. After obtaining approval, the group got to work on obtaining a bat box. After some investigation, they partnered with the father of two of our associates, Dustin and Wyatt. Their father, Eric Lykins, has previously crafted bat boxes exactly like the one we were looking for. The bat box was beautifully crafted and can accommodate around 150 bats!
The installation of the bat box and pole was made possible with the help of Stevens Family Farm in Leesburg, who contributed their time and resources by digging the pole hole and transporting it up the hillside with our Plant Engineer team.
Bats not only serve as pest controllers but also play a vital role in our ecosystem balance. Here are some more fun facts about bats:
- Bats are the only mammal that is able to fly in a true and sustained way!
- Bats can eat as many 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour!
- Bats groom themselves constantly, making them very clean animals!
- There are roughly 48 species of bats that call the US their home!
- Three states in the U.S. have an official state bat: Virginia, Oklahoma, & Texas!