Bat House Forum

[wworker]

Hi all,

As my title states, my bathouse has been up a month and I have a couple of issues. First, I built the darn thing with the grain running vertically. This caused some bowing of the backboard because I only used fasteners along the vertical middle of the box. So I ended up putting a very long screw through the middle of the box to keep it from bowing more. I then screwed a 2x2 the width of the box towards the bottom of the front of the landing board. Basically picture this....my landing board now has a little ledge or stoop and it has been shortened from 5 inches down to about 3.....will this become an insurmountable barrier to my furry friends?

Secondly, and this is just plain old rotten luck.....during the 3~ hours of direct sunlight that the box gets right now, it is being thrown into complete shadow by the roof. The roof is shingled in dark gray shingles, and the box is dark, but it is definitely in complete shadow while it should be in direct light.....

Oh, I live in middle GA and this is a pretty standard 2 chamber house in a pole.

Thanks,
WW

[Terry Lobdell]

I don't see a problem at all.........a 3 inch landing pad is plenty from my observations. Most of the time little browns and big browns don't even use landing pads.......I can't say about freetail bats though........

In your area you are probably getting enough sun to warm the box properly.......

Frank or Bernie may have more advice for you since they are located closer.........

[wworker]

Hey Terry,

Thanks for the encouragement. It is getting hot here in GA....90's almost everyday. Should be plenty warm for them.

WW

[cloudman75]

I agree with Terry about the landing as I watched my little browns last night swoop up into the houses. I attach a horizontal board across the back of my houses at the top and bottom screwing them into the sides of the house as well as the back . I use short screws on the back board so they don't go all the way through. I then attach the house with a bolt and nut at top and bottom to the pipe. That way your house would not warp from the weight.
I am in Lithia Springs and even if your house received no sun and was painted white it would be warm enough this year in
middle GA.
It has also been in the 90s here. My three big browns moved out of my half painted dark unvented house and took their pups with them. The 20 plus little browns in that house also moved into my north facing 5 chamber big ventilated house and took their large pups with them. It's amazing how they could carry them as they were about ready to fly. About half of my
80 plus pups are flying already. They are fun to watch and seem to barely avoid disaster coming out of the boxes. I now have two boxes with pups. I plan to take down the dark house and paint it white. Then I will also put a lot of ventilation
holes and make it a summer heat house. I really liked having big brown bats for the first time.
Good luck with your bat house.

Frank

[wworker]

Thanks Frank. I look for droppings every week, but no sign yet....

Oh, and I will definitely be using battens across the back from now on. Heck I may put them on this one.

Thanks again folks.