Bat Houses

Build a bat nursery

There are different ways to attract bats to your yard, but if you want them to settle down and raise a family, the best way to get them to stay is to offer them their own accommodations. Bat houses allow bats a safe place to roost and nest, and will ensure that they won't choose another structure to nest in, such as your roof, attic, shed or under your porch.

However, to get bats to stay in your yard, you will need to install your bat houses very carefully. Like purple martin houses, if you do it right, you should see bats coming back to nest year after year, but if even one thing is off about the placement or construction of the bat house, then you likely won't see any bats nesting in your box. The general rule is, if a bat house is empty for more than two years, it's time to move or rebuild it.

Bat houses look very much like bird and squirrel houses. They consist of a box about two feet tall and 14 inches wide, although bigger boxes will afford you better results. They should have a landing strip about 3 to 6 inches wide in front of the box. The partitions and roosting areas inside the box should be roughened so that the bat can grip and hang upside down. You can do this by scratching or making grooves in the wood. Although bird houses should not be painted on the inside, painting bat houses is recommended because it will help trap heat in the box when bats are roosting. Depending on how hot the summers are where you live, you will want to choose the color of the paint carefully. If July temperatures fall below 85 F, you should paint your bat house black. The hotter the July temperature, the lighter the paint should be, all the way up to a white box if the temperatures are above 100 F.

Placing your bat box properly is an important factor in attracting bats. The house should be close, within a quarter mile ideally, to a water source. It helps to provide your own water source in the yard, in the form of a bird bath or pond. Bat houses should be placed on buildings or poles. Houses on trees and siding are rarely used. Mount your bat house at least 12 feet off the ground. Make sure you partition the house inside and hang the box at least 25 feet away from tree branches and roofs to avoid predators and unwanted guests, like wasps.

Install your bat box in the early spring, just before bats come back from migration in late spring and early summer. Good luck, and remember, if you don't see a bat your first summer, be patient and tweak the box until it's perfect for your flying mammal friends.