Bat Houses

we don’t have one up yet but we plan to this year.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Let’s see…. that would be project No. 3,476…or maybe 3,477…I can’t remember.

We’re apparently having a bat sickness problem, so, I think they will move up on the list. I want them to have more habitats….I need more of them around.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist......Zone out....(USA 5)

it helps to put bat “dung” in the house

also, if its wood, dont sand off the fuzzy grain, wood fibers at the back of the house as this makes it easier for them to climb in

-- Central northish Ontario

I saw a plan that was just draped burlap over some rungs (about 6 layers) ..

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Here is a link for several neat plans, in all kinds of sizes.

http://free.woodworking-plans.org/bat-house-plans.html

-- jroot

We bought one last year, followed the instructions on where and how to attract them and still no bat in the bat house!!
We have seen them flying around, but they do not seem to like our little house!!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

they must already have a home. Maybe they just need more time to get to like it.
Is the height right? (from the ground) is it facing the right direction? Ask the bats and see what they say.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Did ask them and they did not bat a single eyelash in answer!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

doh… cold shoulder from a batty neighbour. Not very nice! :)
(bat an eyelash hahahah)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

It can take several years for bats to move into a new box, just depends on if there is a need for one in the area. Sooner or later there will be as colonies expand and divide.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

I have bat house and a butterfly house since years

I have never seen a bat or butterfly go near either

So I guess they are just there for ornamental sake

Disappointed I am

-- NS Zone 5B 200 KM East of Halifax cheers Bunting------Having a place to go – is a home. Having someone to love – is a family.

supposedly “if you haven’t attracted a bat in 2 years then move the bat house to a new location”.

lots of info here re: location
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/features/section1/bathouse/bathouse.htm

here’s another one:
http://www.batmanagement.com/Batcentral/batboxes/whyfail.html

this one has pictures (We always like pictures!!)
http://www.batmanagement.com/Batcentral/boxinstall/install1.html

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Good resources, Deb.. Thanks for pointing those out.

From what I hear, butterfly houses aren’t good for anything but decoration.

Now, if you want bugs, go with orchard mason bees and order some in. They’ll establish a colony from what I understand.. All you need to do is provide fresh tubes (or holes) for them to lay more eggs into.

I’ve seen tons around here, so assuming several of the farms around the area have been using them as honey bee alternatives.

I’d also seen another odd looking bee, kind of like a honey bee, but smoother. Not sure what kind it is.

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

I have plans for one after the build I’m on. I will score the internal wall with the table saw to let the little guys get a grip.
It sure cuts down on the flying insect population. I had them at the lake and they used to take on the shad flies.

Bob

-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth

I built one for a buddy a couple of days ago. He hung it up on a southern facing wall but says the bats haven’t moved in yet. Probably cuz they’re roosting in his attic. Which is why I was consigned to build the bathouse. See, I guess the little buggers have been getting into their bedroom at night and scare the bejesus out of his wife. So I told her to hang the bathouse in her bedroom. She thinks I’m an ass. So? My wife does too!

Like the time at my bro-in-laws. He had a full bathouse in his barn. And he had a big party with lots of city girls invited. So when the bats started coming out, like one at a time, it was really cool to watch. Then they started coming out a dozen at a time and there was no real end in sight. And they were swooping all around and the city girls were getting real nervous when suddenly some dummy (me) shouted “Don’t let them get in your hair! That’s where they lay their eggs!” and like all the girls started running and screaming for their cars. It was quite hilarious. Luckily they never found out who yelled that. So that’s my confession. I was bad.

-- Mama plants, Dadoo kills, and Chippy buries it.

evil ;) haha

Rick informed me this morning that he watched a bat enter the house under the eaves. Yippee.
Hey, maybe that’s my “3”—ants, yellow jackets, and bats!!

My favourite bat story (hmm favourite???) is the night that my daughter saw the movie about snakes loose on an airplane. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a sound on the floor beside my bed… Oh boy I hoped that it wasn’t a snake … I leaned over to see what it was and a bat flew up at me, followed by an episode of “Batman” and “Batwoman”.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Dadoo, you are so funny. I love the story about the barn and those city girls. I can just see it in my mind. It is probably something that I might do as well,- just to see what happens, of course. LOL Love it.

-- jroot