Bat House Forum

[Phillcanfix]

I read the post on mesh or grooves and still have a question. Which method is the best to use? I’m building my first bathouse and want to do the best job I can, not just the easiest. The house I’m building is 24 in. high by 19 in. wide, with three sections. Some of the plans and instructions say to put grooves on all the partitions and inside the house and then put mesh over the grooves. Is the mesh needed for anything other than the landing zone? I’d like to groove the partitions, the inside of the house, the landing zone, and only put mesh on the landing zone. Will this be OK?
One other question...I read where you could stain your house. I saw no mention of putting a coat of polyurethane to the outside of the stained house. It would make sense to coat the outside of the house so it would weather better. Is this something I could do or is it not recomended?
Also just read on another post...not supposed to use fiberglass mesh...why?

[Terry Lobdell]

Welcome! Bats love mesh b/c it is easy for them to cling too........this is especially important for maternity colonies with pups.

Regular fiberglass mesh can deteriorate over time. It is better to spend a little more money on pet mesh which is plastic coated fiberglass. I have used it in many bat houses. It must be attached with stainless steel screws or poly glue. I have also used liquid nail successfully, but still have concerns about emissions from it.

I think, all things considered grooves are the best way to go..........I have had lots of bats used boxes I've built with saw kerfed baffles. One inch boards are best. I would not use plywood baffles for grooving due to possiblity of delamination. Saw kerfs are especially good if the wood is rough sawn which provides even more gripping surface.

Ultimately, for longevity I cover many of my bat houses with aluminum and paint it flat black or dark brown.

Below is a link to some pictures of saw kerfed rough sawn baffles I made. I used this jig this winter to make even more baffles. It is actually very fast and easy.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=443

[Phillcanfix]

Terry,
Thanks for the quick reply. I'd like to finish the box today, now I have the info to do it.

[cloudman75]

Have you finished the house yet? I see no reason why grooves should have mesh put over them. Grooves alone work just fine for the bats and pups that I have used in my bat house. Mesh works great also but costs more especially for
stainless steel staples. I would also be curious whether you used polyurethane. The houses are so small, I think 3 or 4 coats of latex paint gives good service. All I have read on painting bat houses says not to use oil base, etc. but stick to a water base paint. Also, I never paint the inside of the bat house. Happy batting. It won't be long now until they come out of hibernation.

[Phillcanfix]

Yes, I finished the house and got it up twenty feet. I stained the inside and outside with a dark water based stain and coated the outside with water based polyurethane. I grooved the inside front and inside back of the house. I did the mesh and grooves on the dividers because some of the plans said to do both in case the mesh were to come off and since they are removable I could repair them easily. Doing both seemed redundant to me too but the plans said....

Thanks again for the quick response.

[cloudman75]

Thanks for your quick response. The 20 ft mounting height is good. Did you use a pole or mount it on a sructure?
Which direction does it face? Just curious not being nosy. I like to hear how others install their bathouses for future
knowledge. Be sure and let us know when you get bats in your house. I have one that I put up about this time last year that no bats have used yet. The other two have been used several years. One of my houses faces East. One faces North.
The bats use both these as when a bat house faces North the back is a South exposure and they can use that on cooler days. The newest house faces West and the back is to the East. I hope the bats use it this year. Right now, The two bat houses provide enough space for the 100 bats total that use them. If each bat has one pup this year they may get a little crowded in hot weather and move to the third house also. I am in a hot summer area near Atlanta.

[Phillcanfix]

I used a pole and mounted it to an out building within sight of my deck. I like to sit out at night and watch the bats fly around. Thats why I thought a bathouse would be fun. In all the instructions I read before building the bathouse it said to face the bathouse south east, so I did. Then I read in some "other" info to face it south west. Which way it correct? Hope it is south east.

[cloudman75]

Just my opinion, but you did great. Southeast is most likely the best direction to attract a maternity column. As for poles I think they are the best way to go. That's why this is a forum, someone else could disagree but I don't think you could improve as long as the bathouse has a clear path to the sun in a southeast direction. Good luck. We are expecting weather in the mid 60s and possibly near 80 this weekend. I have 4 bats that usually come to the bathouses on warm days even in winter. I'll be checking for droppings under them this weekend.