Bat Houses
Some bat species prefer man-made structures to their natural roosts, whereas others are forced to roost in buildings when natural roosts, such as caves and hollow trees, are destroyed. Two bat species that frequently use bat houses are the little brown bat and the big brown bat.
A well-designed, well-constructed, and properly located bat house may attract these and other bats if they live in or pass through your general area.
For bats living in Washington, especially west of the Cascades, bat houses should be painted with multiple coats of flat black exterior latex paint and placed where they will receive full sun. A house baking in the sun is what our bats need and seek—a nice warm place to raise their young, and that lets them decrease their metabolic needs during roosting.
Build or buy a bat house that is at least 2 feet tall and 14 or more inches wide Bigger is better. A roughened or screen-covered landing platform measuring 3 to 6 inches should extend below the house.
The house can be single-chambered or multi-chambered, but chambers should be ¾ to 1 inch wide—a variety of sizes is good to provide for the needs of different species.
The houses should be caulked during construction and preferably be screwed together. The idea is to create a tight microclimate inside the house capable of trapping both the heat captured during the day and the warmth generated by the bats.
Place the house in full sun, preferably on its own pole; the next-best location is on the southern side of a building in full sun. The optimal temperature range is between 85 and 104 degrees F. Don't put it on a tree, as it will be in too much shade and too close to perch sites used by hawks and owls. Keep the area around the entrance clear of obstructions for 20 feet.
Don't worry that adding a bat house to your property will encourage bats to move into your attic or wall space. If bats liked your attic or wall spaces, they would probably already be living there.
This information was provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist
Click here to return to the home page.
A well-designed, well-constructed, and properly located bat house may attract these and other bats if they live in or pass through your general area.
For bats living in Washington, especially west of the Cascades, bat houses should be painted with multiple coats of flat black exterior latex paint and placed where they will receive full sun. A house baking in the sun is what our bats need and seek—a nice warm place to raise their young, and that lets them decrease their metabolic needs during roosting.
Build or buy a bat house that is at least 2 feet tall and 14 or more inches wide Bigger is better. A roughened or screen-covered landing platform measuring 3 to 6 inches should extend below the house.
The house can be single-chambered or multi-chambered, but chambers should be ¾ to 1 inch wide—a variety of sizes is good to provide for the needs of different species.
The houses should be caulked during construction and preferably be screwed together. The idea is to create a tight microclimate inside the house capable of trapping both the heat captured during the day and the warmth generated by the bats.
Place the house in full sun, preferably on its own pole; the next-best location is on the southern side of a building in full sun. The optimal temperature range is between 85 and 104 degrees F. Don't put it on a tree, as it will be in too much shade and too close to perch sites used by hawks and owls. Keep the area around the entrance clear of obstructions for 20 feet.
Don't worry that adding a bat house to your property will encourage bats to move into your attic or wall space. If bats liked your attic or wall spaces, they would probably already be living there.
This information was provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist
Click here to return to the home page.
