Bat House Forum

[ilex]

I want to place a few bat houses on a (I think) very good place for them, but I'm worried about ligthning hitting the bat houses.  Lightning is quite common here and having a metal pole 5 or 6 meters long in the middle of a flat with no nearby trees looks dangerous.

I would probably try to put them farder from water but near some woods.

Anybody has experience with lightning hitting bat houses?

The place is in Spain, 1200 m high, in pretty well conserved landscape, with pastures, forest and some agriculture.  I've got a very big pond, one of 2 in a couple miles radius.  Also mix of various ecosistems as it is in a very strategic ecologic point, due to its distance to the sea and its altitude range.  I know there are some very rare bats around and not too many old trees.

[Terry Lobdell]

I think as long as the interior of your bat houses are dark there shouldn't be a problem. I have a security light mounted on a pole at the end of my driveway and have 2 bat houses mounted on my house facing the light. I had bats all summer long in both houses. Probably the most important thing is not having the light shine or reflect up into the bat house.

[Wetbug]

:brightidea: 
Terry, I think ilex was asking about the bat pole being a lightNing
rod. ilex, why do you need a metal pole? My SIL and I are talking about
using 12' connected 2x4's. Two pressurized pieces as a base (in
concrete) with a standard 2x4x12 sandwiched and bolted in between as
the top.  The bat house will be up in the air about 20' with this
arrangement and trees in the area (close, but not near the bat house)
are taller than this. In this way, I think lightning will hit the
nearby trees before it hits the bat house.

Another point, however... even though lightning is common, actual
strikes to a specific point are rare... statisticians say the chances
of winning the lottery are approximately that of getting struck by
lightning.

[ilex]

Here in Spain, a metal post is much, much cheaper than a wood one (wood is expensive).  I can even get a metal pole very cheaply at a salvage garden (not sure that's the proper name, I mean that place where they have old cars and various metalic junk).  Near the pond (the best place) there are absolutely no trees in 200 meters, so the pole would really stand out.

Would having water 200 to 500 meters away be considered as good as having it 20 meters away?

[Terry Lobdell]

Yes, I didn't see the "n" in there.........I would definitely worry about a metal pole attracting lightning...........I wonder if you put pvc  or wood extension on the top of a metal pole  to mount the bat house to if that would provide enough protection?

[Wetbug]

:thumbsup1: 
Terry, I would think it would be just the opposite, the metal pole
would act as a lightning rod carrying the charge down to the earth. I
don't think you'd want a structure in its way.

If the bat house was mounted to the pole with wooden supports, I think
the pole would guide the charge past the house. I'd connect the wood to
the pole with bolts, but would use wood (2x4's) to hold the bat house
out away from the pole. Then too, recall the incidence numbers.
Lightning strikes are a rarity.

ilex, I'm new at this and will probably have more info for you after we
get my SIL's bat house installed. His location will be about 100 meters
from a fairly large pond. I can say this however, he has bats flying
over his lawn right now in decent numbers with the nearest water at
that 100 meter distance. The bats are going after bugs hatching from
the surrounding trees, bushes and the lawn itself. His lawn is about
1/2 acre - big open area in the middle of surrounding woods, so the
water must be close enough for them to venture a ways.

[cloudman75]

Greetings Ilex,
I have at present three bat houses on metal poles plus a 40 ft amateur radio tower of metal and have never had a stike from lightning over many years. I live in the metro Atlanta Georgia area where severe weather, including lightning and thunder are quite common. In fact we are under a severe weather watch right now as I write. On the 40 ft tower, I drove a 6 ft ground rod into the ground plus I mounted the tower in the ground. I ran a wire from the tower to the ground rod. It was installed in 1990, no problems. It also has a huge cubical quad 5 band antenna on it of aluminum and copper construction.
I have three bat houses on metal poles about 20 ft long each. They have not ever had a problem with lightning. I have had several trees here killed by lightning where the bolt came down the tree, knocked the bark off and even dug the ground up following the roots. I think that you can tell from this that Lightning is not uncommon here. Someone mentioned that the metal posts ground themselves and that is true if they are in contact with the ground. Added safety could be had by driving a 6 ft ground rod and running a wire to it from your metal bat house post. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Adios Collega,

Francisco


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[flyin-lowe]

I have two purple martin houses on metal poles and I know of hundreds of others who have the same. Martin houses have to be in the open so you think they would be prone to strikes, a tall metal pole far away from trees, however I have never heard of it happening.

[Markcuda]

One of my martin houses have been up fo 23 years, no lightning hits as of today yet

[flyin-lowe]

Markcuda
How is the martin colony? What type of housing do you have, how many martins do you have? Just curious.
I started about 5 years ago. I had a male subbie stay for the summer two years ago. He returned last year and I ended up with 5 pair that fledged 14. I haven't had any returns yet this year but am expecting them this week.
I have a T14 I built with 4 gourds underneath. Plus this year I added an aluminum gourd rack that holds 16 gourds.

[Markcuda]

Here is my set up.

[Markcuda]

04-06-11 Purple Martin Houses 1.JPG (68.41 KiB) Viewed 208 times

[Markcuda]

flyin-lowe, that is one beautiful looking set up
I've had martins since 1988, I don't do the counting thing but in June, we can count 50 at any given time.
July, even more.
I built the pole system on the left.
I have 7 martins now.

[flyin-lowe]

There is a guy on a martin forum that I frequent from Louisianna that has 250-300 PAIR of martins every year. Can you imagine 500-600 birds in one area. By the end of summer there is not a flying insect in site. He uses mostyl gourds, and I would hate to imagine how much money he has wrapped up. His housing is all top notch stugg, I am guessing he has over $10,000. in it total.

[Markcuda]

Wow, that must be a heck of a set up
I have always read that a martin colony will only get so big and then the one or two year old martins move on to form/live in other colonies?
I might be wrong but I don't think the number of houses dictates the number of birds.
I just went out and cleaned the sparrows out