Bat House Forum

[JR0835]

I just put up my new bathose. It was supposed to replace the old one that has been there for 12 years. The old one was full of bats and those bats wouldn't budge! Couldn't believe it.

I had trouble taking the old one down because one bolt was rusted. Finally twisted the house 90 degrees and forced it off the wall, banged on it with a hammer and pulled the anchors from the bricks. Bats just held on for dear life.

Took it down, leaned it up against a tree, upside down, and they still stayed there. I didn't want the very small baby pups to fall out. They are only an inch and a half long. Mama bats were holding them under their wings like they were surviving an earthquake. Very funny. They didn't seem to be the least bit afraid of me.

The tree in the foreground is a Valencia orange tree. We don't really have winters here.

Old single cell bathouse. It has about 60 bats in it.

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I installed a snatch block up high and pulled the house up with that pully.

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Final installation. Small batchelor bathouse is attached to the side of the large house. Old house installed on the right side, (Still full of bats !)

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You can do a search on YouTube for JR0835 to see some videos of my back yard wildlife.

[JR0835]

Final installation. My wife was the director.

Finished Job

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My wife did help.

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[cloudman75]

Amazing story, and good photos. I don't think I have ever read of a similar experience with bats like you just had. By my estimate using a formula I found on line your new 9 chamber could hold over 1500 bats without being crowded. I asked Terry Lobdell to estimate it using his method as I am bad about turning the mathematical crank the wrong way. I'll be anxious to see what he says. That is a nice looking bat house for sure.

Frank

[JR0835]

New bathouse was made from recycled lumber taken from a trash pile. Only expense was flat black paint. I had counted from 68 to 72 bats in the old single chamber bathouse, depending on how many pups I could see, that was made for me by my brother Bill in Nashville. I figured it could handle 10% more easily. Multiply that time nine chambers and came up with something in the 585 bat range. Other formulas from Bat Management, Inc. came up with 680 and another 704.

[William Bagwell]

Agree with Frank, amazing story and thanks for sharing and posting pictures.

William

[cloudman75]

JR0835
I don't know what this means, I don't get out much.
How about a clarification for an old man, 79 in March?
But, get a brip! They're just bats

Frank

[JR0835]

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[cloudman75]

Thanks for explanation there Jack. I happen to be interested in how to estimate bat house capacities. We had a discussion on the forum a year or so ago
with a thread on the subject. It does matter to me as I have built several houses. Of course your house does not matter to me, just curious to try out my new
estimation tool before I forget how. Being a retiree, I try to keep my mind active. Bats are one of my many interests which give me pleasure.

Frank