Bat House Forum

[madness008]

My girlfriend and I just moved to Austin where there are millions of bats. Our apartment is near a creek and we're on the second floor overlooking a greenbelt. We'd like to hang a bathouse in our balcony but I think this could cause problems if a bat flied into my neighbors apartment or if they see a bunch of bats flying off my balcony every night into the trees. Would they fly into the apartment? Or are they smart enough to know where to go? If we open our slding glass door to the balcony at sunset do we run the risk or 75 bats flooding into the apartment? Let me know if this is feesible.

[Joe Spencer]

Welcome! All bat houses mounted on dwellings should be mounted on exterior walls preferably away from a balcony.  You should seek permission from the owner to erect a bat house.  If they're not open to one mounted on the apartment, see if they would consider one mounted on a pole/post on the property.

[kerbat]

Hi Welcome to the bat forum. I am not as experienced as many on this forum, but I have had a bat house mounted on my house and very near a door. At no time with over a hundred bats in the house did I feel like there was even a remote chance that a bat was going to enter the house.

Boy, must be neat being able to see all the bats you have in the area! Good luck with your landlord and do not put up a bought house that is not recommended by Bat Conservation International. There probably are commercial bat houses other than these that work, but many of my friends have bought small commercial built boxes and been disappointed with zero occupancy.

Bernie