Bat House Forum

[jloftin60]

I want to buy and install a Bat House (my first) and I need your advice on what type of house is the best all around successful Bat House.
Where to purchase it, where to hang it on a pole? When the temp is 98* and the humidity is 98* I don't won't them to die of a heat stroke?
Here it is April 16. Is it too late, if so, when should it be hung?
I live out in the country with trees and ponds. I see a couple bats flying around my house right before dark. I want to put them up a home,
so they will stay around.
I live in SW Louisiana close to the Texas border. The bats I see flying at dusk are small body(2"-3") with a wing span of 6"-8" either dark brown or black.
I don't understand the direct sunlight, because I have gotten into my white vehicle with the windows open during July - August, around 1:00 - 2:00,
and it would be 120*-140* on the inside. Starting with the morning sun, should I place the house where is gets all day sun or start getting some
shade on it around 2-3:00?

[cloudman75]

Do you know what species of bats you have in your area? If you would give information as to what state you live in
the species could be determined. My experience is limited to little browns and I live in a similar setting to you in Georgia.
It gets hot and humid here, I have woods, and ponds close by plus open fields. If you have little browns my choice of houses would be a three chamber built to BCI standards. I bought my first one from OBC and the bats love it. I can send you a photo of it with the bats hanging out if you want to email me. I don't know that it met BCI standards or not but it has been much used by little brown bats. I would suggest giving the forum a little more info as
to what bats you have or your location to help them know what may be best.
I mount mine on poles around 20 ft high to the bottom of the house or whatever it works out after the house is mounted. At present I have two three chambers and one large 5 chamber.
You need to get it up soon but my experience is that I have had a maternity colony move in May to another one of my bat houses. They carried the babies from a three chamber to my 5 chamber. I suppose it got too hot and crowded in the
three chamber. Here is where I bought my three chamber.

http://www.batroost.com/triple-celledbathouse.aspx
Also is the 98 degrees a high or average temp with the humidity you mentioned? I have seen it that high here plenty of times in summer.
Good luck with batting. Email me if you want to see the bats hanging out in my bat house. I have posted them on the forum some time ago.

[Joe Spencer]

To add to cloudman yes OBC houses are good. Bat houses receiving plenty of sun each day are more successful. Mounting two back to back on a pole is even better giving bats more temperature options. Single chambered bat houses do not work well on poles but do work well on houses and buildings.

Recommended certified bat houses here: http://www.batcon.org/index.php/conservation/topics/bat-houses/bat-house-database.html

Look here for successful tips like What Color to paint your bat house for your area etc: http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/bathousecriteria.pdf