Bat Houses

[Scott Hildenbrand]

So which of you around here have bat houses put up?

Which style box are you using and how does it do?

Still trying to hash out what the best box would be for this area and its orientation.

[Val]

with one house and ended up with six. It's not only important to build or buy the proper house but where you mount it. This site should give you all the information you need.

Not only plenty of general information but that specific to your area as well.

I put these up, along with "swallow motels" for mosquito control. I had a big pond in my back field, huge mosquito breeding ground. Between the swallows and the bats I was pretty much mosquito free sitting out in the evening after three years of the first house being occupied. Plus they are really fun to watch zooming around in the evening.

Val

[Val]

Here's a site that has good instructions for building and mounting both a box house and a 'rocket house' the bats.

wish I could still have a bat house, or even had bats flying around in the evenings.

Val

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Why can't you?

Thanks for the input btw.. I've got both those sites bookmarked as well as others. I'm just deciding on what type of house. The newer rocket box, thin nursery box or one of those 4' wide jobs.

Else, I'm set with staining it dark dark since the temp here averages 80 in july, plus it will be located in a somewhat shaded area as apposed to in the wide open.

[Phisherman]

I have a bat house that was erected back in 1992 onto a popular tree,

15 feet up off the ground. It has an open bottom, about a foot wide, 2 feet high, made from pine, shingle roof, unfinished, faces east where it gets morning sun. Wasps usually take it over in the summer months, but I have seen a snake climb the tree and go inside it. I expect it will rot before any bats use it. No bats have taken residence, although I see many bats in the summer evenings catching bugs. There is a nearby pond and stream.

[Billy]

1000 mosquitos/hour, WoW!

[J. Clarke]

Maybe you should have put it in a less popular tree.

[Val]

I can't because I now live in the city in an a high-rise. No place to put a bat house and I've yet to even see a bat around here.

The placement of a bat house is crucial as to whether it's going to be used. Bats need a very wide open approach. Read up about this very carefully. Bats are even fussier about their homes than most birds.

Val

[Val]

Bat houses are seldom successful when placed in trees. First it's difficult for the bats to find and make an approach through the leaves and branches and, as you've found out, it's easily accessible to predators and unwanted tenants. Bats are very particular about choosing their homes.

Val