A compilation of information gathered from around the net...Note, the dimensions given here are a starting point, some people have found that a taller house suits some species of bats better, so experiment, build some different sized structures.
| 2 | 11 1/8" X16" | BACK |
| 1 | 11 1/8" X 12 3/4" | FRONT |
| 2 | 3/4" X 3/4" | LEDGES |
| 2 | 5 3/4" X 14 1/8" | SIDES |
| 1 | 5 1/2" X 14 1/8" | ROOF |
| 1" finishing nails | ||
| 1 1/2" finishing nails | ||
| silicone caulking | ||
| 1 | #10 X 2" wood screw or lag bolt |
all materials to be 1/2 exterior grade plywood
METHOD
- cut the partition and back, drill a mounting hole at the top of the back
- cut the front
- cut the two sides 15° bevel at the top
- cut the top, bevel the front and back edges at 15°
- cut the two ledges
- nail the ledges to the front and back
- score the front, back and partition with the saw blade set fairly shallow ( the bats need the roughness to grip the sides )
- nail the sides to the front, back and partition
- nail the roof to the top of the bat house
- caulk any seems or gaps at the roof area
| FRONT VIEW | SIDE VIEW |
|---|---|
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Have unwanted bats in your home or attic?
There is no need to poison or harras them, by simply "jingling" your car keys close to thier roosting site, the ultrasonic noise can in most cases drive them out successfully without physical interaction on your part. Remember, bats can b ite and may have Rabies. You do not want to handle the bats in any way. If you do have to handle them use a thick pair of leather welding type gloves.
Why Build a Bat house?
Putting up a bat house is one of the more rewarding ways to help wild life. By providing bats with a roosting habitat, you also benefit by having fewer yard and garden pest.
A single brown bat can catch around 600 mosquitoes in just one hour.
An anticoagulant from vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human heart patients.
A small eared brown bat will eat the equivilent volume of a boxcar of flys and insects in a single lifetime.
Bats are shy of humans and do not become entangled in the hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.
Are bat droppings harmful? No more than cat or bird droppings. However one should avoid inhalation of any dust with animal feces in it.
North America's Bats are an invaluable natural resource. Yet due to decades of unwarranted human fear and persecution, bats are in alarming decline. By putting up a bat house, you can help increase the population. Even the most abundant bats of North America are rapidly losing roosting habitat.
Putting up bat houses and making careful observations offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about bat roosting requirements. They can also make a great science project for the school.
Some bat house habitat recommendations...
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