Bat Houses Important considerations if
you want a successful project: #1 Bat
boxes need to be constructed very sturdy, with heavy weatherproof materials #2 Seams
need to be sealed with weatherproof caulk #3
Crevices or openings need to be less than 3/4 inch. Even 5/8" is big enough for most of our
bats, and larger chambers will make a very cozy shelter for yellow-jacket and
wasp nests #4 In
the west side of Washington State, protection from weather appears to be more
important than placing bat houses on the south or 'sunny side' of a building.
#5
Higher is better: the bottom of the box should be at least 12 feet
above the ground #6 By
far the most successful place to put a bat box is on a building (barn,
garage, house) and not too far from trees (10 - 30 feet). #7 A
tall and sturdy pole is the next best placement, and boxes mounted on trees
are rarely used by bats #8 Bat
boxes and houses must be kept in good repair! #9 If
don't have bats where you plan to put the bat house, they probably won't move
in from other areas, but... #10 If
you meet the conditions of #1 - #9, you will have a good chance
at having bats in your bat box! Getting started Choose
a design within your budget and construction skills. It help to have the flat pieces cut on a
table saw -- if you have a table saw,
you already know this. If you do not have a table saw, find someone who does
and have them cut the pieces for you. Some lumber stores (and home depot
stores) will cut up the plywood you
buy from them for a small charge or for free. Links to plans, ideas, and
the bat house builders forum... Standard
single-chamber flat bat boxes that are the most common ones you see online
and in garden stores are not the best for this area. A few bats use some of
the ones I've inspected, but they ranked last in the studies we've done in
western Washington. The Uncle
George Jr. (or George Jr.) bat box is easy to
build, small enough to mount in many
locations, and is well received by the more common bats of the PNW -- California
myotis and Little brown
bats. The
Rocket Box
designs are winners for the Northwest, and is the one I recommend if you have
to mount on a pole. The Dual-chamber
Rocket box is even better,
most of the ones we have installed get used at least by a few bats, and
others in western Washington have reported the same results. It looks like a
giant bottle rocket when standing out in field. Another very good site for construction details for a Single Rocket box
is here: http://native-wildlife-gardening.com/rocket-box-bat-house-plans
. The
bat house builders forum
is an excellent resource, and was started by someone in southern Washington. South Coast Bat Action Team (British Columbia): www.scbat.org/bat-biology/bat-boxes-2/ Here are photos of some of
our larger projects: http://nwbats.com/fl_structures/ |