Bat House Forum

[batnovice]

Hi, Everyone,

I got a bat house for my dad a few years ago. After working through some qualms, his wife has agreed to let us mount it on his chimney.

1) Is there anywhere on the internet that I can get a tutorial for this? I'm reasonably handy, but have never drilled masonry. For instance, I can get a masonry bit, but would I need a hammer drill? What type of masonry anchors are best?

2) Also, the bat house is unpainted, and is from Bat Conservation Int'l. I'm thinking I should put some exterior caulk around the top, and paint it black (the house is in the mid-Atlantic, near Washington DC). Does this sound reasonable?

3) Finally, his chimney is three stories high. Higher will get more sunlight, but is there a minimum mount height recommendation -- i.e., young bats may need 10' of drop, plus higher keeps bats away from lawnmower noise, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any help!

James

[Dave Miller]

I have not mounted a bat house to a chimney, but I have mounted bat houses to poles and trees, and have mounted other things to chimneys.

To answer your questions:

1. You will definitely need a masonry bit. I have drilled into brick and mortar (i.e. chimney) without a hammer drill but it is much easier with a hammer drill. Just ask your friends and neighbors if you can borrow one. I just use regular masonry screws (often painted blue), they work fine.

2. Here is BCI's bat house color recommendation: http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/ColorRecs.pdf Also good info here: http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/ba ... iteria.pdf

3. In bat house studies it was shown that given a choice between identical houses at different heights, bats nearly always choose the higher house. So they like houses to be as high as possible. But there are people on this board who have successful bat houses just 8 feet off the ground, and a successful chimney-mounted house that is just a few feet above the roof. So just place it as high as you are comfortable, ensuring that there is at least a little "drop space" for the bats to begin their flight.

Getting the bat house, your tools, and yourself to the top of the ladder is a little tricky. Here is the method I like to use (which I've copied from my flickr album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70097310@N ... 770522093/):
1. Climb extension ladder, and place a rope with a pulley on it around the trunk of the tree, as high as I can reach.
2. Lower the ladder a few rungs. Climb back up and cut off any protruding branches or knots with a hand saw, to make a relatively smooth surface for the back of the house to rest against.
3. Thread a rope through the pulley. Attach one end to a small shackle that I fastened to the mounting plate at the top of the house. The shackle uses the center hole at the top of the mounting plate, which has been enlarged to the size of a lag screw.
4. Give the other end of the rope to an assistant.
5. Push the house (which weighs 34 pounds) up the ladder, while the assistant takes up the slack and keeps the house from sliding back down.
6. Once the house is at the top of the ladder, find a suitable position (using compass and level), and drive a lag screw through one of two pre-drilled holes the landing pad and into the tree.
7. Use a level to square up the house, and drive the other lag screw through the other hole in the landing pad. These two screws are now holding the weight of the house.
8. Reposition the ladder to one side of the house, so you can extend it further and reach the top of the bat house.
9. Drive a long deck screw through the mounting plate (don't use the lag screw hole) and into the tree. This screw just holds the top of the house in place so the shackle and ropes can be removed.
10. Remove the shackle (which is using the main lag screw hole), and drive a lag screw through the mounting plate and into the tree. Add at least one more long deck screw.
11. Untie the rope that is tied around the trunk (which is holding the pulley).
12. Position the ladder as needed, to access any branches near the bat house.
13. Chop off the branches with an axe, or cut them with the saw. There cannot be branches near the bat house, as these would be used by predators (owls and hawks) to grab the bats as they enter or exit the house.

[batnovice]

Great info Dave -- thanks a bunch. I did not realize that getting the house up the ladder would be such an event -- so it's great to have your guide!

Thanks again,

-James

[cloudman75]

One of the easiest ways to attach something to a brick wall or chimney is to use a french cleat type hanger. Terry Lobdell has used cleat hangers made of wood. Check his posts out on the forum. I recently hung a very heavy mirror to my brick fireplace using store bought french cleat type hangers called z bar hangers. Take a look here for information.
http://zbarhanger.com/12-feet-long-zbar-hang.html
In my opinion the 10 bucks they cost is worth the convenience they allow. This site will give you some ideas I think.
Dave gave you some info on masonry screws which could be used to attach the z bars to the brick joints. I used what some call lead shields and lag screws available from hardware stores, home depot, etc. You simply buy the lead inserts, a masory drill bit to suit the size and lag screws to fit the shields, or anchors. The hardware personnel can help you. They don't need to be very large to hold the bat house depending on how many anchor points you have. If you drill in the masonry joint, a regular masonry drill bit and 1/4 inch or larger drill motor will do the job. Of course a hammer drill is better. If you drill in the brick itself, then you would need a hammer drill for sure. I have anchored in both the joints and bricks on deck projects, etc.
On whether to paint your bat house, I would not use black. Unpainted or light brown would be better if your house will face anyway but north. Considering that pups are born in June or July, your area has been pretty warm this summer season. When it gets 90 to 95 degrees, a dark house in the sun is just too hot. My bats are hanging out of the three houses I have because they are just too hot in the sun. The masory chimney will absorb heat and retain it so I think you would be OK unpainted or even a light blue. That's just my opinion.
If you use the z bars, you would attach half of the hanger to the chimney, the other half to the bat house. Then you would get the bat house up on a ladder and drop it on the z bar previously mounted. Just make sure you get them level
when you drill the holes. Also don't use screws on the bat house that penetrate to the inside as the bats may be injured.
Higher is better and 12 ft or more would be my minimum from the bottom of the house. This would not be a problem with a 10 to 12 ft ladder even for a short guy like me. Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress and determinations.

Frank

[Terry Lobdell]

Here is a link to pictures of a very successful bat box I mounted to the chimney on my home. I just used 2 cables around my chimney fastened with turnbuckles to attach it.

chimney-mounted-bat-house-with-big-browns-t555.html

[Joe Spencer]

It too have used hangers made of wood using 2x4 lumber but it does leave a 1.5" gap or smaller depending on the thickness of the wood/hanger between the chimney and bat house. The metal cleats as Frank mentioned will minimize that keeping the house as close as possible to the chimney to take advantage of thermal heat and temperatures. Indeed always drill into the mortar instead of the brick since it is easily repaired should you need to take down or relocate the bat house. Also some bricks are hollow in spots but the mortar is always the depth of the entire brick.

[stephenpeter4]

However, treated wood may present certain hazards in some circumstances such as during combustion or where loose wood dust particles or other fine toxic residues are generated or where treated wood comes into direct contact with food and agriculture.

Treated Pine Timbers