Bat House Forum

[cloudman75]

I used a tractor, a come-along, and a boat winch to raise the extra heavy 5 chamber large bat house on a 1-1/4 inch schedule 40 pipe that was 21 ft long.
I drove a galvanized angle in the ground about 3 ft drilled a hole in it and bolted the pipe as a pivot point. I know what Osha would have said about my rigging LOL. Anyway It was a success. We have severe weather expected possible high winds so I just tied it down good and will finish the u bolt attachment at a later day. Here are some photos I hope of my ordeal. I almost lost it more than once.

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[Terry Lobdell]

Nice pictures Frank! My uncle suggested I get a chain come along to mount my bat houses.......Seeing your pictures reminded me I've got to google it to find out more about it!

[cloudman75]

Terry,
I have used a chain hoist in the past to pull engines out of my old cars.They are easier and safer to work with once you have a good place to hang them.
I painted this house royal blue but it will be used for a maternity house. Since it is still cool in March when the bats arrive, The color will be fine until the pups start to fly. The bats in past summers have quit using this house when it was painted a lighter blue because it got too hot in July and August here.
I have plenty of cooler houses for them so I think the dark blue will be OK. This house is 4 ft tall and 24 inches wide. It is plywood. I noticed that the baffles have warped very little which is unusual for such large one piece baffles. They are scored, with only the landing board that has mesh. If I were you, I would go for pivots at ground level, and a winch or chain hoist to raise the mounted bat house on a pole in the future. I did climb an 8 ft step ladder, but I should not even be doing that at my age of 79 in March. I am in good shape for the shape I am in. LOL.

Frank

[JR0835]

I enhanced one of your photos so I could see the bat house.

Jack

[cloudman75]

Jack I was in a rush to take photos before the storm hit. the photos turned out darker than normal for me. We have sunshine today so i'll post another photo
later. The bat house is the first one I ever built. It was supposed to be 7 chambers from some plans off the net from PA. I cut it to 5 chambers but it has held up well and this is the 7th season coming up. The bats really liked it for pups.

Frank

[cloudman75]

This shows the old bat house, not much to look at as it is starting its' 7th season. It has vents in the side and front for air from a PA. plan I got off the net. This was my first house and turned out to be one that was large, a good maternity house and the bats liked it very much. It is 5 chambers about 24 inches wide and 42 inches high plus a landing board of about 6 inches. Very heavy of plywood. Baffles are scored front and back which made me decide to look for an easier way. I now use rough boards in lieu of one piece plywood.

Frank

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[JR0835]

Same photo. That bat house is big enough.

Jack

[cloudman75]

Terry you were right when you wrote that painting the house exterior would not deter the bats. Here is a photo of a bat that used the house yesterday and today at dusk. It only took a few days for one to find it.

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The trash in the chambers is where the flying squirrels tried to build a nest but failed. Also the little horizontal board at the top of the chamber nearest the post is one I put in there for the females to rest on if they chose. The chamber near the post is one inch spacing. The plywood baffles are in good shape to be 7 years old, not much warping. The baffles have about one inch clearance from the top so the little pups can crawl back and forth and not go down to the landing board.

Frank

[Terry Lobdell]

Great pictures! Yeah, I've seen plenty of times where bats have used boxes with week old paint on the exterior.....plus the siding of my home was stained with a homemade stain of used motor oil and my big browns cling right onto it on very hot days when they roost behind the bat boxes......

[Emersombiguns]

Great shots, yes I was painting my house every year on the outside in Jan. Never seemed to deter them..Nice looking house..Randy