We're losing our pollinators. First honeybees were struck with a devastating disease, and now bats. Here's a pull quote:

Wildlife biologists fear a significant die-off in about 15 caves and mines in New York, as well as at sites in Massachusetts and Vermont. Whatever is killing the bats leaves them unusually thin and, in some cases, dotted with a white fungus. Bat experts fear that what they call White Nose Syndrome may spell doom for several species that keep insect pests under control.

Read Here for the full article: Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why

if you're thinking about getting a bat box, do it now as bats start looking for nests to have their young in the springtime. According to Bat Conservation International , adding bat guano or urine to your box doesn't help attract them. In rural areas, 60% of bat boxes are inhabited the first year, and in urban areas the number is 50%. By the second year, 90% of bat boxes are inhabited. (Though with this disease devastating the population in New York, who knows.) If you don't have any after two years, you may need to adjust your box.

The most important aspect is the box being warm enough. They need six hours of direct sunlight and if in the northern part of the country, paint it a dark color to absorb and retain heat.