BAT Housns excerpts from Woodworking for Wildlife 
     
     - by Carrol L. Henderson 
     
     Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
     
    
   
   
    
     Daytime temperatures in the bat house.must be very hot - about 80 to 90 
     
     degrees F. One way to achieve this is to cover the bat house on top and 
     
     extending a couple of inches down the sides with two or more layers of-tar 
     
     paper. The dark colour of the tar paper absorbs heat from the sun and helps 
     
     protect bats from the rain. The tar paper may be hard to attach and may 
     
     weather badly. Another alternative would be to paint the bat house black so 
     
     it would absorb heat from the sunlight. ' ' 
     
    

    
     Bat houses should be securely fastened to a tree trunk or the side of a 
     
     building roughly 12 to 15 feet above the ground. Preferably they should be on 
     
     the east side of the house where they will receive the morning sun but will be 
     
     shaded during the afternoons. Bats also seem to prefer sites that are 
     
     protected from the wind. _ ' 
     
    

    
     The best habitat for bat houses is relatively near rivers, lakes, bogs, 
     
     or marshes where insect populations are high.' The closer bat houses are to 
     
     such places the greater the probability of being used. Those located more- 
     
     than a half mile from these habitats have a low probability of being used.' 
     
    

    
     Bat houses should be placed by early April but it may take a year or two 
     
     'for bats to find the house. ,Once used, it does not need to be cleaned. 
     
     Chances of occupancy are better if bats already live in,nearby buildings. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     4a 7 1/4' ., ., 7 1/4' . 
     
     ' 1 A a . 
     
     mg, * 53M' 9 Cover top and 
     
     [.— 
     
     I T . l 2' down side: 
     
     g 3 v2. ‘37”  with tarpapor. 
     
     I l . ‘ a ' I 
     
     I : a) 
     
     .N : 
     
     BOTTOM VIEW " - 
     
     I ry cuck 3/4' wldo 
     
     , V 
     
     2 Scan or scratch 
     
     I entryway and III 
     
     Inna: surlaces to 
     
     I toughen. 
     
     SIDE VHEW 
     
     FRONT VIEW 
     
     (CUPOW'EY) as mounted on bulldlng 
     
     J I: I: u I! u 11 Y 
     
     a 12. i 1‘. I '1. fl 9- 51/;- 12. fl '2, T 
     
     g. ‘ tn: 1‘: ' / 
     
     \ ow o 
     
     .. FRONT BACK ROOF ES 3 SIDE SIDE E ////17/WASTE 
     
     N ‘ 'I.‘~ ll ///////////// 
     
     j“ 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
     L‘UMBER: oh. 1'xa'x a'o' 
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor's Note: If you are installing a bat house on the side of a house be 
     
     warned that bat droppings may discolour the area below the bat house and that, 
     
     on untreated wood, they probably accelerate rot. 
     
    
   
   
    
     -15-