Bat House Forum

[SgtMaj]

Hello,

I have been wanting to put up a bat house for the past year now, and finally have a little time to build one and put it up, but in my readings on bat houses I came across a site that said to place it facing Southeast... the thing is, the only two sides of my house that could hold a bat house either face due West, or due North, and I have no suitable trees on the property to hold a bat box, nor do I want to put it on a pole. I would prefer to put it on the North side of the house under the eves where it would be protected both from wind and rain, but also would never get any direct sunlight. Will this cause a problem for the bats? Will it prevent bats from moving in?

Also I am wondering if there are any heat benefits to bat houses with more chambers, I don't want a real thick bat house, so I was considering building a single chamber house, but if there are heat considerations then I will go ahead an build either a two or three chamber bat house.

Final question, I have plenty of window screening, and was wondering if it would be better to cover all interior surfaces with it to give them footholds or if I should just score the wood with a knife like most plans show?

Please reply asap because I'm planning on building and installing it tomorrow. Thanks.

PS - I live in East TN if that matters

[Erik]

Hi!
Great idea to put up a bat house. Here are some answers to your questions:

- West or North?
As I am from Europe (The Netherlands) I don't know the average summer weather in East Tennessee, but I imagine that facing west is in your case the best place for a bat house. All insect eating bats that live outside the tropical regions regulate their use of energy by being lethargic during the colder times of the day. That means that they drop their body temperature when they are asleep during the day. Before getting active to forage for food they have to warm up. They can do that by shaking their muscles (like shivering) but that costs a lot of energy. When other heat sources are available they prefer to use that too. A bat house facing west receives the most sunlight in the afternoon and evening and provides the bats that heat source. Only when bats are pregnant and when nursing their young they want higher temperatures during the whole, as getting lethargic also slows down the growth. So facing west may not be the best place for a nursery house, but is a great place for (a group of ) bachelors, mating groups and for larger groups outside the maternity season.
I guess North might be to cold.

- Single/multi chambered?
Multi-chambered is often better for bats than single chambered. A multi-chambered bat house often provides different micro-climates, providing a choice for the bats. You can also get the same effect by mounting two single chambered bat houses next to each other and giving them different colors (dark and light). When you have an overhanging roof on that side you can also put one bat house just under the roof (more shade) and another one lower on the wall(in the sun). But when building two houses one on the west and one on the north might also do the same trick.
But don't be afraid to only build one bat house. Most bats always use a network of roosts they know, always picking the roost that is best for their needs in the time of the year. So one single chambered bat house can be a success as well, when it becomes part of that network.

- score the wood / window screening
Bats like a firm grip on things and in general they like window screening a lot. But make sure you have strong screening (I believe they call it pet-proof?) because that lasts longer than normal screening. In warm circumstances normal screening tends to crumble in a few years and then you have to replace it. In general it is better to build you bat house in a way that you can easily disassemble for repair.

Good luck with the bat house!

Erik

PS. I hope everything is clear as English is not my native language.

[cloudman75]

Quick answers
Welcome Sgtmaj

North under the eves is no good as they need some sun or heat. I think it would have little success for bats.
A single chamber is not good, a three chamber about 24 inches high x14 inches or so wide will be less than 3.5 inches deep or thick. A nominal 1x4 would suffice.This would be fairly light and more likely to attract a nursery colony which is what it is all about in my opinion.
The bats love screening, but it is a pain to staple it and the staples will rust from urine in a few years. I have two now that are letting the screening go and now scratch the baffles for my new houses. The rough wood baffles have done well as a nursery house.
A bat house on a pole is great facing west, but you don't want to do that. The back would be east so would get sun a plenty.
I live in N.W. Ga, my sister lives in Knoxville so I know about what your weather can be like in summer. I do believe West
facing under the eves has a chance, but not ideal as a pole. I think North under the eves would not have much of a chance.
My three houses are all being used now by adults, but no little ones yet. Hurry and get it up and good luck to you.
Keep us posted on your progress please.

Frank