EMPORIUM – In May, the Elk State Forest staff installed both duck boxes and bat houses in both Elk and Cameron counties.
Wood ducks were once thought to be going extinct at the turn of the century so there was an effort to develop wood duck boxes for them to nest. Wood duck populations have been slowly increasing since the mid 1960’s and are now plentiful enough to hunt.
Bats are often misunderstood but they are an important biological control for insects – especially mosquitoes. Bats can consume more than 3,000 mosquitoes a night.
Bat houses should receive as much sunlight, all day if possible, be located near a permanent water source and be at least 12 feet above the ground.
If you are thinking of making or installing a duck box or bat house you can search the web or check out the “Woodworking for Wildlife” book from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
For more information or questions, please call the District Office at 814-486-3353. You can visit online at www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Also check out the Elk State Forest on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elkstateforest.
