We care about wildlife and our natural environment, and we share the concern of our customers about West Nile virus. Our partnership with the Organization for Bat Conservation through the Bat House pilot program may lead to a reduction of the incidence of mosquito-borne West Nile virus in Michigan.
Michigan is home to nine different species of bats. A single bat can eat as many as 8,000 mosquitoes in one night. Increasing bat habitats can be a natural and environmentally friendly approach to mosquito management.
In cooperation with Detroit Pershing High School, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 17 and the Organization for Bat Conservation, DTE Energy has installed 30 bat houses. Twenty-five were installed in the Howell area, the primary test location. Volunteers monitor the houses and the area's mosquito population.
Bat populations decrease every year because of human disturbance, extermination and loss of habitat. We can help bats by teaching people about them and by installing bat houses to give them a home.
Bat houses should be installed at least 15 feet off the ground on dead trees, non-utility poles* and the side of buildings, facing south or southeast. They should be painted black to retain heat. For more information about bats and bat houses, visit the Organization for Bat Conservation Web site.
(*While DTE Energy has installed bat houses on select utility poles as part of this pilot project, we cannot allow individuals to install bat houses or any other items on our poles. Unauthorized objects on utility poles are dangerous for our linemen and will be removed.)
