Boyscout Builds Bat Houses To Prevent Spread Of West Nile
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IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) – John Flaherty, 16, of Irving is on a quest to bring thousands of bats to Irving.
As part of his eagle scout community service project, and with the help of the city of Irving he has come up with a plan to build about a dozen bat houses to be set up along Campion trails.
The bats, he said are nothing to be afraid of and instead he insists they can help everyone who lives nearby.
Flaherty said, "I hope to bring more bats to Irving and make sure the insect or mosquitoes gets diminished."
Flaherty is after bats that eat their weight in mosquitoes every night. He said they are small and weigh about the weight of a nickle.
The bat houses he built with the help of about 30 other volunteers are shaped like frames and according to the teen they can house about 200 bats.
The ground in and around Campion Trails is still flooded. As a result Flaherty is delaying the installation of the bat houses. He said once the ground dries up he will place about a dozen of the bat houses along the trail at about 14 feet in the air.
Flaherty said he is excited about his project, and he certainly appreciated all those who have lend a helping hand along the way. "Thank you for helping me out I couldn't have done it without them."
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