What Is the Best Placement for a Bat House

February 21, 2022 Post a Comment

Bat house placement is the key to attracting bats to your bat house. The following information will aid you determine the best location for your bat house.

Bat House Placement
Paradigm of P&S Land Crafts Bat Houses mounted dorsum-to-back

Mounting on Buildings and Houses

Your bat house can be mountedon the side of a building, barn, shed, or business firm.

Since bats cannot take flight from a standstill, they need to have around 3 feet of space to drop and grab flight. Yous'll want to make sure there is ample space surrounding the bat house with few obstacles.

It is recommended that single sleeping room bat houses be mounted on a edifice or house, instead of a pole, to assist with temperature control.

Bat House Placement Near Chimney
Image of a P&Southward Country Crafts Bat House on a house in South Carolina

Mounting on Poles

Mounting a bat house on a pole gives you precision when it comes to ensuring adequate sunlight exposure.

You tin can apply either a wood or steel pole.

When mounting two bat houses back-to-back, you lot should identify one in direct-sunlight and the other bat house mostly in shade. Doing so will provide unlike temperature options for the bats to choose from, which tin can increase occupancy.

Mounting on Trees

Bats are not probable to utilise bat houses mounted on trees considering the branches can obstruct the sun, which is necessary for warmth. However, standing dead copse that receive full sunday and are devoid of branches can be appropriate.

Walkways

You should avoid placing the bat house in heavily trafficked areas such as in a higher place the forepart entrance of your home. Noise volition not generally bother the bats, however, bats may leave a pocket-size corporeality of bat guano (bat droppings) near the bat house. This isn't harmful, but you probably wont desire to keep stepping it. The paradigm below shows you what guano looks similar.

bat house guano
Bat guano found underneath a bat business firm

Height

The bat firm should be mounted 12 to twenty feet above footing on either a edifice/house or a pole.

Predators and Obstacles

You'll want to maintain around 20 anxiety from the nearest tree branches, wires, and other obstacles.

Bats need ample space to have flight.

Additionally, bat houses with open bottoms do not typically concenter predators, merely keeping an adequate distance from objects (especially trees) can ensure culprits stay out.

Bat houses with chambers i.5 inches or larger tend to attract wasps and other animals. All of our bat houses have chambers less than 1 inch.

Temperature and Sun Exposure

Bats typically prefer an internal bat box temperature between 80-100 degrees. You may demand to experiment with your bat business firm placement if you exercise not come across occupancy later on a year.

Zone i: Direct sunlight for half-dozen to 8 hours.

Zone 2: Direct sunlight for 6 to 8 hours.

Zone 3: Direct sunlight for vi to 8 hours.

Zone four: Direct sunlight for 6 hours.

Bat house zone map

Cleaning and Maintenance

You lot should not tamper with a bat business firm when bats are present considering information technology will disturb them and may deter them from returning.

Yous practice not usually need to worry near cleaning the bat house, although you should probably inspect the business firm one time a year to make sure information technology is properly sealed and at that place are no pests within of information technology.

Although bats will go out droppings (guano), information technology shouldn't be significant enough to pose a problem, especially when you mountain the bat house away from heavily trafficked areas. Guano has actually be known to be a great fertilizer.

When buying a well-constructed bat house, you lot shouldn't need to worry about resealing edges or repainting for many years. You will know an inspection is due if yous come across a decline in bats.

Types of Bats

The most common bat species that will live in your bat firm is probable the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).

Even so, there are many different types of bats. Meet which bats live in your state.

Expectations

Exercise not exist surprised if it takes a flake of time for bats to begin using your bat house.

Information technology is platonic to mount your bat house in early leap following the in a higher place guidelines. If later on a year you still practice not see any bats, you should attempt relocating the bat house to a place with more or less direct sunlight, equally temperature regulation is the biggest cause of failure.

When inspecting the bat house for bats, exercise not shine lights inside the bat house for longer than a few seconds. Lights can easily irritate the bats causing them to leave. The best way to bank check if your bat business firm has occupants is to await until dusk and encounter if bats get out the house. Also, bat guano beneath the house is as well an indicator of apply.