A confirmed case of West Nile Virus-- and a case of Zika this week in Central Texas have many looking for ways to keep mosquitoes at bay.
Some Texans are turning to "bat houses" to get rid of those disease-carrying pests.
Mel Grider, owner of Birds Unlimited, says that bats can be an important part of protecting the fight against mosquito-spread illness.
"One bat will eat it's body weight in insects in one night, which calculates to about 3 thousand mosquito-sized insects each night. So that's the best mosquito control you can have," Grider said.
At Grider's local business he has seen an increase in bat box buyers. Local environmental specialist David Litke says that the best thing a person can do is utilize many methods.
"Don't focus on just working on only one product. A lot of the times you need two or three methods just to be effective the main thing is to try what works for you then use it," Grider said.
Experts caution though if you did install a bat box, make sure it is far enough away from the home to keep bats from getting in. Most importantly, box owners are encouraged to be respectful of the creature at all time.
"It's made for viewing bats. You don't necessarily want to interact with them while they are in the bat box. During the day or when they are coming out at night keep so keeping a safe distance from them."
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