I am new to this which will soon be obvious. I wish to build a rocket bat house using the http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/bats/battwocham.asp MD Dept of Wildlife plans in rough cedar. Can anyone suggest improvements or alterations I should make? I have specific questions also -
On using pet mesh - even in the photos I have found here of rocket boxes with pet mesh in them, whelp, I can not see the mesh. Does it go on the longer, interior box landing pad or only in the interior, covered part of the box?
Venting - any advice on vent placement? Or venting in general? I am in north Georgia and it's flipping hot here. I know I am a Yankee and not a bat but dang is it hot.
I will not use a tin roof as in the plans but shingles such as http://www.batnic.org/forum/forum5/134.html this model (thank whoever for posting that!! It's been helpful!!) and I have learned to try pvc spacers, but if there is anything else specific I should look at, advice is very much appreciated!
Speaking of the above thread, I am confused on the HEAT CORE topic. There is a few variations on this in these forums but I'm not quite grasping what to do about it overall.
At this time I am only concerned with building. Location and mounting I have figured out. Sort of. I apologize for so many questions in one thread. I do have a batbuilders handbook but it's a 93 edition - I had better get a new one.
Building a Rocket Box Questions
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by Terry Lobdell » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:31 pm
Layla, those are all good questions..........myself, I wouldn't even bother with pet mesh at first. Just cut a saw kerf about every half inch on all four sides........much simpler..........then if you get a lot of bats put up another box with pet mesh because it is a great surface for mothers with pups.
There should be some pictures on here showing pet mesh being attached.........seems like Joe and Nate had some good pictures on here of pet mesh.
The heat core is just a hollow core which can be filled with sand, gravel or anything that will absorb heat during the day and release it at night. Even the post center of your rocket serves as a heat core. With a first bat house, you don't really need anything fancy. My opinion is to start out simple to initially attract bats. Once you get some, then a heat core storage is definitely a good idea!
Kent Borcherding's posts explain a lot about heat retention......
You are off to a good start! Hope this helps!
There should be some pictures on here showing pet mesh being attached.........seems like Joe and Nate had some good pictures on here of pet mesh.
The heat core is just a hollow core which can be filled with sand, gravel or anything that will absorb heat during the day and release it at night. Even the post center of your rocket serves as a heat core. With a first bat house, you don't really need anything fancy. My opinion is to start out simple to initially attract bats. Once you get some, then a heat core storage is definitely a good idea!
Kent Borcherding's posts explain a lot about heat retention......
You are off to a good start! Hope this helps!
- Terry Lobdell
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by kerbat » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:42 pm
Welcome to the wacky world of bats,
Do you have signs of bats in your area?
You might consider building a large single chamber bat house (simpler and lighter) until you determine you have a bat location.
I first built one with dimensions based on available scrap plywood from shipping crates for my kit plane. 24 inches wide and 18 inches above the vent. Taller may be better to give more temp variation. All interior surfaces have climbing cuts about 1/2 inch apart which was done with a router, but saw works just as good.
I have since built a rocket (hurrican resistant design) of my own design which is housing 140 brazilian free tails and a dozen frogs.
Haven't been sucessful in posting a pict on this forum but if you send my an email address will send you some pics of the two bat houses.
Do you have signs of bats in your area?
You might consider building a large single chamber bat house (simpler and lighter) until you determine you have a bat location.
I first built one with dimensions based on available scrap plywood from shipping crates for my kit plane. 24 inches wide and 18 inches above the vent. Taller may be better to give more temp variation. All interior surfaces have climbing cuts about 1/2 inch apart which was done with a router, but saw works just as good.
I have since built a rocket (hurrican resistant design) of my own design which is housing 140 brazilian free tails and a dozen frogs.
Haven't been sucessful in posting a pict on this forum but if you send my an email address will send you some pics of the two bat houses.
- kerbat
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- Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:40 pm
by layla » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:45 pm
Thank you for the replies, ever bit of information helps. I did find photos of how the mesh was attached and also more on heat core ideas. It was in the upper 80s yesterday (cool day) yet 50 last night.
We have woodworking skills and tools out our ears over here, so putting together the rocket style box is a cakewalk. I just want to have the design to the best of my ability so am trying to study everything. Our property is designed with wildlife as the primary focus and we would not put up a box and abandon interest in it later.
We do have bats, at least two species although I am not sure what they are specifically. One is considerably larger than the other and a much lighter color so they are very easy to tell apart. They show up like clockwork nightly. I am not certain where there is water as our creek dried up due to drought...actually the ATL city water supply lake is about a mile from us but that's pretty much dried up as well. It's a mess! I have a 5x3 in ground bird bath (not pond) but I doubt that counts. :D
Being so late in the season I do not expect bats to occupy, but this is a project I have wanted to get to. I am also interested in this http://www.batnic.org/forum/forum5/393.html design, which I would likely do over the winter after I get some knowledge - and find water. The rocket box is the simple one!
Does anyone have any feedback on the foam rocket boxes mentioned in these forums? They sound interesting, but I can find no follow up and photo links are broken. I don't even know what kind of foam.
kerbat, email is laylaa17 at yahoo.com. I'd very much thank you for photos and can try and post them here for you if you wish.
We have woodworking skills and tools out our ears over here, so putting together the rocket style box is a cakewalk. I just want to have the design to the best of my ability so am trying to study everything. Our property is designed with wildlife as the primary focus and we would not put up a box and abandon interest in it later.
We do have bats, at least two species although I am not sure what they are specifically. One is considerably larger than the other and a much lighter color so they are very easy to tell apart. They show up like clockwork nightly. I am not certain where there is water as our creek dried up due to drought...actually the ATL city water supply lake is about a mile from us but that's pretty much dried up as well. It's a mess! I have a 5x3 in ground bird bath (not pond) but I doubt that counts. :D
Being so late in the season I do not expect bats to occupy, but this is a project I have wanted to get to. I am also interested in this http://www.batnic.org/forum/forum5/393.html design, which I would likely do over the winter after I get some knowledge - and find water. The rocket box is the simple one!
Does anyone have any feedback on the foam rocket boxes mentioned in these forums? They sound interesting, but I can find no follow up and photo links are broken. I don't even know what kind of foam.
kerbat, email is laylaa17 at yahoo.com. I'd very much thank you for photos and can try and post them here for you if you wish.
- layla
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by IowaNate » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:54 pm
Welcome to the site Layla! You will find many knowledgeable people on this site who have been VERY successful with bat houses. My colony between all of my bat houses is over 600 and growing and I keep learning new things and trying new experiments with the insight of the great people here.
A two chamber rocket house made of rough cedar is a great design. You probably won't even need to roughen up the surfaces or apply any screening for bat footholds since it is already quite rough for bats to cling to.
Terry did a great job on explaining a heat core, and I certainly agree with him in that you won't need anything other than the post that the bat house is mounted to for your first house.
As for venting, a 1/2" vent on at least two sides (running side to side) of a rocket house should be [url=#]adequate[/url]. Put the vents about 1/3 from the bottom of the bat house (example...if the house is 36" tall put the vents 12" from the bottom). I live in Iowa and ALWAYS incorporate at least a 1/4" vent 1/3 from the bottom).
Looking forward to your posts!
Nate
A two chamber rocket house made of rough cedar is a great design. You probably won't even need to roughen up the surfaces or apply any screening for bat footholds since it is already quite rough for bats to cling to.
Terry did a great job on explaining a heat core, and I certainly agree with him in that you won't need anything other than the post that the bat house is mounted to for your first house.
As for venting, a 1/2" vent on at least two sides (running side to side) of a rocket house should be [url=#]adequate[/url]. Put the vents about 1/3 from the bottom of the bat house (example...if the house is 36" tall put the vents 12" from the bottom). I live in Iowa and ALWAYS incorporate at least a 1/4" vent 1/3 from the bottom).
Looking forward to your posts!
Nate
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IowaNate - Posts: 375
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by layla » Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:32 pm
Alright, I will not tackle the heat core issue and yes, the cedar is quite rough. I was wondering if too rough but it's lighter and lasts a long, long time here. I have birdhouses that are 12 years old and never needed a thing nor have I ever had parasites in the nests thankfully. Other wood types rot, warp or get bugs in the humid south.
I'll get photos as it's being built since I'll follow the instructions (built by a clueless person and Model II always has revisions but...) . This may help someone in the future.
kerbat, it is
laylaa17 @ yahoo.com
you need to remove the spaces before and after the @. I try and avoid spam bots, sorry. I'd love to see the photos, the larger bat houses fascinate me no end. I would certainly post your photos for others!!
600 bats?? I'd be sleeping on my deck to watch them. How wonderful for you!!
I'll get photos as it's being built since I'll follow the instructions (built by a clueless person and Model II always has revisions but...) . This may help someone in the future.
kerbat, it is
laylaa17 @ yahoo.com
you need to remove the spaces before and after the @. I try and avoid spam bots, sorry. I'd love to see the photos, the larger bat houses fascinate me no end. I would certainly post your photos for others!!
600 bats?? I'd be sleeping on my deck to watch them. How wonderful for you!!
- layla
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by Terry Lobdell » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:53 am
Layla, On the subject of some wood being too rough I have pondered the same thing........Lately on some of my rough sawn red pine I have started going over it lightly with a surform just to take off the big protruding pieces. The last 2 years I have done a lot of experimenting to see if bats will roost on rough sawn wood alone and they do...........although if there are mesh baffles close by they will always choose those first.......At this point I believe bats like wood rough enough to grip but not so rough that pieces stick out far enough to poke or annoy them........
- Terry Lobdell
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by layla » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:20 am
kerbat - I laughed out loud at the frogs, though. that's a hoot.
Terry, there is a lumber yard here that specializes in cedar so I am just going to have to go there and see what is best. Rough cedar can be pretty smooth but I don't know quite yet. Much of my decisions are being based on long term ideas and I tend to over study a topic before actually doing anything. When I asked neighbors if a bat house on my property was okay with them, all of them were enthusiastic and expressed an interest in having one as well. I am trying to figure the most likely to be successful and lowest maintenance design I can on the first go 'round. Experience is the only thing that will teach me how to improve as not everyone will put as much into it as my household would. Also my community expressed an interest in our common area which is a bit premature. I have visions of a dozen bat houses going up with none of us having a clue. Bad idea for the wildlife!
However, every wildlife item I have ever built, which is many, cedar beats the crud out of anything for durability and low maintenance. Bugs, parasites and mold are big issues here, along with snakes. Pine, even painted, gets moldy very quickly. I considered hardie board - which we have on our house and is outstanding - but the weight is ridiculous.
Anyhow, I'm still researching and planning. Most of my questions will not be answered until I successfully try it. I'm also concerned with pup falling, house cats (vanishing species due to coyotes which people don't seem to understand we have) and snakes (will use a post guard), do I paint the cedar, guano as far as maintenance, guano attracting flies as we've had an invasion of house flies, will the dogs eat the guano and can I avoid this by using a short fence around the base...you name it, it is in the back of my head.
However I'm still intending to get it built this weekend so I can start learning. I bet I discover dozens of things I never thought of fairly quickly.
which is all moot if bats don't occupy the house.
Terry, there is a lumber yard here that specializes in cedar so I am just going to have to go there and see what is best. Rough cedar can be pretty smooth but I don't know quite yet. Much of my decisions are being based on long term ideas and I tend to over study a topic before actually doing anything. When I asked neighbors if a bat house on my property was okay with them, all of them were enthusiastic and expressed an interest in having one as well. I am trying to figure the most likely to be successful and lowest maintenance design I can on the first go 'round. Experience is the only thing that will teach me how to improve as not everyone will put as much into it as my household would. Also my community expressed an interest in our common area which is a bit premature. I have visions of a dozen bat houses going up with none of us having a clue. Bad idea for the wildlife!
However, every wildlife item I have ever built, which is many, cedar beats the crud out of anything for durability and low maintenance. Bugs, parasites and mold are big issues here, along with snakes. Pine, even painted, gets moldy very quickly. I considered hardie board - which we have on our house and is outstanding - but the weight is ridiculous.
Anyhow, I'm still researching and planning. Most of my questions will not be answered until I successfully try it. I'm also concerned with pup falling, house cats (vanishing species due to coyotes which people don't seem to understand we have) and snakes (will use a post guard), do I paint the cedar, guano as far as maintenance, guano attracting flies as we've had an invasion of house flies, will the dogs eat the guano and can I avoid this by using a short fence around the base...you name it, it is in the back of my head.
However I'm still intending to get it built this weekend so I can start learning. I bet I discover dozens of things I never thought of fairly quickly.
which is all moot if bats don't occupy the house.
- layla
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by Terry Lobdell » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:43 am
Layla, you are doing everything right..........I think you will be successful.........I have lots of guano near my house and so far I have not had an increase in flies..........in fact I never notice flies around it at all.........I recently posted a picture (guano deflection board) which shows how I deal with the substantial amount of guano from my big brown maternity colony (15 mothers)
Cedar should be an excellent choice of material. I was given a cedar bat house made by the Organization for Bat Conservation. It had been mistakenly mounted in tree but had withstood the weather very well.
That is refreshing news that your neighbors are enthusiastic about the bat house!
Most of us on here report very few pups falling.........Kent says when they do it's because of overcrowding...........Myself, I've never found a fallen small pup. About once a year I will find a nearly full grown one. I just get a ladder, climb up, put it up to the landing pad and it will just scamper right up into the crevice.
Cedar should be an excellent choice of material. I was given a cedar bat house made by the Organization for Bat Conservation. It had been mistakenly mounted in tree but had withstood the weather very well.
That is refreshing news that your neighbors are enthusiastic about the bat house!
Most of us on here report very few pups falling.........Kent says when they do it's because of overcrowding...........Myself, I've never found a fallen small pup. About once a year I will find a nearly full grown one. I just get a ladder, climb up, put it up to the landing pad and it will just scamper right up into the crevice.
- Terry Lobdell
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by layla » Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:16 pm
My neighborhood is small and casual. Eventually someone will squawk but since houses are well spaced and can't really see each other, squawkers will not know for awhile. Hopefully by then a few people would have boxes so it'll be too late. I stared talking about it months ago to get the idea in and recently asked a man from the HOA to help us get it mounted, he was delighted but concerned the single bat that lives under his eaves would move to my yard. It was his first question, if his bat would move, which he did not want at all. We have support. I have forgotten to mention it to potential squawkers. 
Bats sound like baby birds - just stick them back, they are good.
We've had an invasion of houseflies, it isn't at all a normal level, making guano and flies valid. It's a potential squawker check. Near us there has been land stripping for sub divisions where everything has been totally cleared. I am sure lots of potential fly eaters got displaced.
And I still have not found water! Hard to tell via satellite photos due to trees. Hope the bats aren't drinking from our community swimming pool - yuck.
Bats sound like baby birds - just stick them back, they are good.
We've had an invasion of houseflies, it isn't at all a normal level, making guano and flies valid. It's a potential squawker check. Near us there has been land stripping for sub divisions where everything has been totally cleared. I am sure lots of potential fly eaters got displaced.
And I still have not found water! Hard to tell via satellite photos due to trees. Hope the bats aren't drinking from our community swimming pool - yuck.
- layla
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by Joe Spencer » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:17 pm
kerbat wrote:Welcome to the wacky world of bats,
Haven't been sucessful in posting a pict on this forum but if you send my an email address will send you some pics of the two bat houses.
Kerbat, if you email me your photos I shall gladly post them for you by editing your post and then you can edit the same post and elaborate on them if desired. Email them to [url=mailto:hoarybat@gmail.com]hoarybat@gmail.com[/url] with title bat photos. Please send and let me know asap so I can then delete my email address from this post so the darn spambots don't get it. thanks.. Joe
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by Terry Lobdell » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:24 pm
Layla, I actually hear a lot of people tell of bats drinking from swimming pools.......I have never seen it myself though..........
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