How to Build a Bat House
Do you know that a single bat can eat up to a thousand mosquitoes just in one night? Despite their “creepy” reputation, bats are very beneficial to have around, so instead of shooing them away, you should make them stay. The best way to do that is to construct a bat house for them. Here’s how to do it.
What You’ll Need:
Several 1/2 inch sheets of plywood
1 1/4-inch exterior grade or deck screws
Measuring tape
Pencil
Furring strip
Circular saw
Caulking gun and caulk
Screwdriver
Exterior-grade stain
Paintbrush
Procedure:
Get three pieces of 1/2-inch plywood sheets and saw them into the following dimensions: one 16 1/2″x 24″ (top piece) , one 26 ½” x 24″ (back piece), and one 24″ x 5″.
Using a pencil, make several lines that are 1/2 inch away from each other along the entire length of the back piece. Get the circular saw and cut along the lines, to a depth that’s at least 1/16 inch deep. These will serve as foothold for the bats.
Using the exterior grade stain, stain the interior part of the plywood. Don’t use paint for this, because you might fill in the grooves you cut before.
Get the furring strip, and using the measuring tape, measure and cut it into three, until you get one that’s 24 inches long, and two pieces that are 20 1/2 inches long each. Attach the two shorter strips to the short side of the back piece, while the 24 inch strip should be attached to the long side.
Get the 16 1/2″ x 24″ plywood, and attach it to the furring strips. Make sure you leave a gap that’s half an inch wide, to allow ventilation. Afterwards, attach the 24″ x 5″ below the top piece. You now have an 11 1/2 inch part of the back piece exposed. This will be the climbing point of the hose, where the bats land and crawl into the chamber.
Caulk all the joints, so the chamber will be sealed. Attach a 1″ x 3″ board above, for the roof. Afterward, stain or paint the bat house’s exterior. Once it’s dried, you can now mount it on your garage or shed.
Some Tips
For bigger colonies, you can make a bigger bat house using these directions. Just make sure you use bigger pieces.
Instead of cutting grooves on the back piece, you can attach plastic mesh, which will serve as foothold for the bats.
The best position for the bat house is at the east side or south side of a building.
Contrary to what many people think, bats aren’t creepy pests. They’re very helpful, so make sure you make them feel at home with a comfy and properly constructed bat house.