Bats are still a large mystery reason I'm researching them.  All sizes of bat houses can be filled. I talked to one park ranger that has rocket boxes that house 30-50 bats usully the males like these and he has them at 10 feet  not sure why but would guess they where put up by boy scouts (standard project for them) and they jusg got the post that was available at the standard home depot. and they ended at 10 feet instead of the normal 15-20 feet suggested. He said his are all full and where full with a few months after they where put up  from NABRP 20 year study the largeest one filled the quickest 90 % with 2 years the smaller ones with in 5 years. If yours don't then you need to experiment new location different color etc.  if there on a pole try the side of the house facing NE if possible (most of the sun) which they determined was prefered over poles becuase of the stability of a house and radiated heat the house can get from the house. Trees are the worst location preditors like hawks can hide in the limbs squirrels will knock down or just pester the bats. writing my book I've accumulated tons of information and will be redueing the 2 bat house movies I have up and I've added the pfd of the unfinished movies so you can read and see the graphs.

click on the speaker if there is a narrative you can hear it. there just a rough I'll be adding more and changing some of the slides.

lesson 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FC46mq8U9s&list=UUxNsDlJZkI4iBT0m77PvM9Q&index=2&feature=plcp

lesson 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R-8rV0rk_0&list=UUxNsDlJZkI4iBT0m77PvM9Q&index=1&feature=plcp

lesson 3 pdf not finished

http://www.fewerr.org/PDF/Bat_House/Bat%20Houses%20part%203-4.pdf

lesson 4 pdf not finished

http://www.fewerr.org/PDF/Bat_House/Bat%20Houses%20part%204-4.pdf

you can get non toxic paint called enviro paint at the store. I recommend painting all of the hosue inside and out. inside use stain outside the heavier the paint the better for the weather. I've been thinking of experimenting with Rhino the truck liner stuff but it's really expensive so not cost effective but should last for ever. maybe something for the government would be worth it. inside you want to protect for urine and warping.

material all kinds of stuff has been used basically anything the bat can grab with his claws will work.

size is basically what you can afford for me it's what size sheets are availableat the store so I can convert my houses into easy kits. I'm working on plans for privacy fence and exstending theposts to 20 feet they are usually 8-10 feet between so the size I'm using privacy fence so I'm limited to good used pickets of 6 feet so cut of the bad top and bottom I usually get 5 feet weight is another problem because a 1 man operation have tyo be able to lift it even using a crane there is a safety requirment. mine are modular 5 foot cleanup picket will make a 2 1/2 foot wide house by 3 feet long and 2 x 12 for the side for 9 baffles using dagoes'  then put 3 side by side and 2 back to back for 6 houses makes on very big house the owner can add 2 houses the firs year then 1 or 2 each year so the price won't kill him. then put up a couple rocket boxes so the males have a place to stay as well you have created a bat environent and no bugs. on bat eats about 5 lbs of bugs ayear you figure how many bugs that is then multiply for each house of 350-700 bats. wow a lot of bugs. oh a mosquito weighs .002 grams figure out how many mosquitoes a year even if a bat only eats 10% since they usually eat moths.

 

 

If you talk to the Animals, they will talk with you. And you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them. And what you do not know you will fear, What one fears One destroys." Chief Dan George-Tsleil-Waututh Nation Next time your scared by a bat remember 8 million have died from White Nose Syndrome 1 bat=5 lbs bugs/year=1-2 million mosquitoes/year 1 small bat house = 250-700 bats you do the math. West Nile Virus infected 5287 people killed 243 last year is your home protected? http://fewerr.org/Pictures/WNV_Bat_Mosquito_yellow%202.pdf

http://www.fewerr.org/PDF/bookfly1.pdf