Bat House instructions

My son gave me a bat house for my birthday (I guess being a teenager, he thought that some of the bats were "escaping the belfry of my head" and needed a new home!!) LOL!!

I thought maybe some other gardeners would like instructions to build their own bat houses. Here in Jersey, we are trying to do whatever we can to naturally & organically eliminate the mosquitos that are carrying the West Nile Virus. But even if you don't have this problem, all good gardeners welcome bats to their yards.

Most of this information I got from Rebecca's Garden site......but have added some additional information that I gleaned from other sites as well.

This is for a standard (economy) bat house:

Step 1: Materials
(All wood---preferably cedar)
(2) 20" 2x2s
(1) 16" 2x2
(5) 16" 1x8s
(1) 16" 1x4
(1) 16-1/2" 1x4
(1) 12-1/2" 1x1
1-1/2" nails
Window screen
Caulking gun
Paint

Step 2: The Sides, Top and Back
You can build an economy bat house that accomodates 30-50 bats for about $20. For the sides of the bat house, take the two 20" 2x2s and place them 16" apart. Attach the 16" 2x2 to one end with nails to form the ceiling. Lay three of the 16" 1x8s across the sides, butted against each other, and attach with three nails on each end. If you use cedar, the rough side of the wood should be on the inside so the bats can grip it. If you don’t use cedar or a wood with a rough surface, staple a piece of ordinary window screen to the inside of the bat house.

Step 3: The Front
Turn the bat house over and attach two more 16" 1x8s, butted against each other, at the top. If you live in the central or southern United States, leave a half-inch ventilation gap between the third piece of the front; if you live in the north, don’t worry about it. The third piece of the front is a 16" 1x4 that has a 12-1/2" 1x1 nailed along the center of the bottom edge. When this piece is in place, it allows a 3/4-1" entrance at the bottom of the bat house that is big enough for bats to enter but too small for predators.

Step 4: The Roof
Nail the 16-1/2" 1x4 to the top of the bat house for the roof.

Step 5: Waterproofing and Painting
Use a caulking gun to seal all of the seams and waterproof the bat house. Finally, you need to paint it. If you live in the north, choose a dark color to absorb the heat from the sun. If you live in the south, paint it white to deflect the heat from the sun. A strip of fiberglass screen should be placed outside on the front of the house to act as a “landing strip”. (Metal screening was not recommended as the bats can get their claws caught in it).


Step 6: Location, Location, Location
A bat house needs to be warm, so it’s important to place it in the sun. A tree is not a good location. The best place is on the south side of a house, about 15-18’ from the ground, so bats can easily fly in and out, and predators cannot get near them. Bats also need to be within a 1/4 mile of water, which provides an ample food source because water attracts many insects. Also, metal houses, or houses w/ aluminum siding is NOT recommended as it gets too hot. Most bats can tolerate up to 100 degrees F.

Momcat,
I made 20 bathouses this winter out of cedar. I got the plans the Minn. Dept. of Natural resources. They have really easy plans for just about any kind of bird house you can think of. Anyway when I posted a message about cedar bat houses in the hands on home forum someone posted that you should not make bat houses out of cedar. I have been looking a round (must admit not much) and have been unable to find anything about cedar being bad... Anyone have any more info on cedar and bats?
BTW I made close to 200 various bird and squirrel houses this winter.

If you have skeeters, Do you have Dragonflies?

They eat more skeets than bats. and less mesy.

Sari - I looked at about 9-10 sites for bat house instructions, none said anything about NOT making them out of cedar, in fact, all recommended it. (My son didn't use cedar, but he did use wood). The only thing I saw was to NOT make them out of metal as they will get too hot.

Sure wish I had you around here! Could use some extra "houses"! :-) Are you going to sell some at the DG storefront?

You should never use metal to make any kind of bird or bat house for the reasons you stated.

According to the Minn department of natural resources A single adult brown bat can eat 3,000 to 7,000 insects each night. "many are mosquitoes". BTW they can live upto 19yrs.

And yes I think I am going to sell them at the DG store front.

Good idea Sari to sell your houses.....I could use some more. (My son tried real hard to make one, but he's a welder, not a carpenter!) :-) Sure was a "labor of love" for him though, bless his heart!!

I would really like to encourage more bats....I know we've got some in the area as when DH and I are out in the mayan hammock in the spring/summer evenings, under the maple tree, we see them come out at dusk and dart all over the skies.

I had no idea they could live that long.........I know the 2 flying squirrels we've got can live as long as 17 years in captivity, but usually only 6 in the wild. I work part time as a volunteer at a wildlife refuge -- we've got 2 bats in there now that were disturbed due to their homes being destroyed by construction. It's been quite interesting to see them and deal w/ them one-on-one. Gives you a greater appreciation of them.

Sari...I was the one who said I was informed by a park ranger that cedar should not be used for bat houses. I have a pamplet here on bat houses from the state park and I will be more than happy to send you a copy.
Carol

Carol -- I would be interested in knowing why cedar is not an acceptable material for a bat house. Could you tell us? Thanks,
mom24cats

I have been doing some search on cedar and bat houses. Here is what I found at Bat Conservation International, Inc. www.batcon.org
Here are two quotes from them:
"The North American Bat House Research Project was created to advance the knowledge of artificial bat habitats. We have approximately 2000 volunteer researchers in the United States, Canada and other countries."
"Unfortunately, many commercially available bat houses are made from designs that do not meet bat's needs, or are not accompanied by adequate instructions when purchased."

BatCon actually RECOMMENDS making making bat houses out of cedar. Here is the link for that info
http://www.batcon.org/bhra/bhcriter.html

They do NOT recommend making them our of pressure treated wood.

I have a campinground on Miscou Island in New Brunswick, Canada. I have 6 bat houses near a pond this year I had 8 bats in one house I did'nt expected the rest . I built my houses with old barn boards one inch thick about 2 feet high and 12 inches square and I closed the buttom and I leave 3/8" opening with a 45 degrees slent so it keeps them clean (no faecal), the inside boards are 1 inches appart and with my skil saw I make a groove 1/8" every quarter of a inch a part. I painted them with two coast dull black water base paint it keeps the houses warmer they need 90 degrees temperature. I place them back to back, one facing south and the other one facing north. About 600' behind the camping and on 20' pole and in that part there is no trees around those houses. I hope the bat will increase. they are the best predator for mosquitos.

Lincoln





This message was edited Friday, Feb 23rd 7:09 PM

Mom24cats, The pamplet I was given says certain woods like cedar, as well as silicone caulking, give off vapors toxic to bats.
Carol

Sari, I managed to get access to a computer again after sending your e-mail this morning and checked out the site you mentioned above. It says a combination of plywood and cedar, not cedar alone. I also checked the plans provided at this site and cedar is not included in the building material list. I am clueless where cedar fits in with the building combination. I e-mailed this organization and another with the cedar question, and I will forward their reply on to you. Hopefully we will find the answer to this question.
Carol

Holly,
You will never fit in that size house, and you know it.. LOL
Love you!!!
Larkie

But Larkie - I was building it for the BOTH of us, my dear buddy!
Love you too!

Long as I can have my own room...lol