FAQ - Why don't I have bats in my bat house?

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I'm asked this question often, why don't bats appear to be using my bat house? I answer that question with some depth here covering where to place your bat house and what qualities to look for in a bat house etc...

[@judyfucci106]

I think the way you are positioned in video is funny. Bat wings coming out of your head. But never the less, good info

[@hdtripper1]

That's pretty funny. The whole time I was listening to this guy,I never noticed the bat wings until I read your post.HAH!

[@liamlive100]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. You have a very dry humour and you are extremely witty :-) You and people like you are making this world a better place 👏👏👏❤️

[@h4bats]

I appreciate your completely unsolicited and accurate comment. :-)

[@mikegallagher7324]

@@h4bats hey man I’m getting a bat house in Florida it’s black and I’m putting it with no sun in my back yard will that be ok?

[@phillipduncan563]

The entire time you were talking you are giving useful information that was awesome thank you I can't stand people that talk for 20 minutes just because they like to hear themselves talk and don't say a damn thing LOL

[@silas_dyck]

In other words you can't stand politicians. 😂

[@Benjamin-tx6vv]

1. Bats like 85-100F 2. Direct sunlight 3. Early warming (facing East) 4. at min10ft from ground 5. clear spaces 6. free of mud-dobbers & wasps 7. water at min 1/2 mile from bat house

[@mmaides]

I live where it is definitely going to hit 100 or more. Is that too hot?

[@marshwetland3808]

@@mmaides Sounds like an eastern location would be better. Morning sun, then shade.

[@BearWoodz83]

I build bat houses for the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown Florida. One of the things that we also learned based on years of experience is that. Don’t use stains or oil based paints. Only use water based they do not like the chemicals. Also when first starting a bat house smear on bat guano or poo onto the screens to draw them in. Works great for us since we have over 200 bats in two of our bat houses.

[@StateFarmAFO]

Are your bat houses available for purchase? Thanks

[@debraarmstrong8291]

Thank you for sharing this!!! You have helped so much!!! I now have bats and no mosquito bites!!!

[@h4bats]

Thanks for loving bats!

[@michaelbrown7360]

I love the idea of having a buddy that you don’t like very much go up and clean the wasps out of the bat house! That is hilarious!

[@h4bats]

Knowledge is knowing that bees sting, Wisdom is letting your "buddy" try to get the honey first so you can learn from other's experiences. Thanks for loving bats!

[@boonedog1457]

3 years in a row now, bats have made residence on our cabin, behind window shudders, facing south east. We love having these guests. The other day we purchased a "Bat House" and will be installing it on the south east corner of our house. I am relocating our American Flag to do so. LOL...Our bats are getting priority positioning! Our flag will be relocated away from our bats. They are going to love their new home! We have a vegetable garden, flower gardens, and lots of mosquitos, gnats, etc. We have a perfect habitat for our little fury bat friends. Thank you for your helpful tips. Your video is most excellent. Thank you "Bat Man!"

[@NIGHTNOTLOC]

Any updates

[@boonedog1457]

@Colton, We did buy the bat house, but getting a pole to install it on has become a real challenge. We don't have the right vehicle to haul it and we live in the country and no one will delivering. So, needless to say, our bats are still residing (in the summer) behind our shudders. They are content there, but we really want to introduce them to our bat house. We will figure it out. Meanwhile, we've noticed our flying insect population has diminished, which is great. We want more bats!

[@bbrown-ed6if]

Great info as I am getting ready to build a couple of houses myself. I do see a bat most evenings around the light pole by my garage so a good place to hang them. Thanks for the video

[@susandixen3664]

Thank you for your outstanding video! Your information is clear, concise, witty, and well-paced. I’m very excited to establish a bat house or two on our property and was Googling around for info. So glad I found you, and I’ve now subscribed for more bat lessons as they’re available!

[@h4bats]

Thanks for loving bats!

[@trybal007]

Sweet! I didn't screw anything up. Just installed a couple days ago. Made of pine and particle board backing with a frame at about 15ft. Coated with medium gray latex and sealed with hydrothermic plastic. Cold climate though, dipping down -35c. Lots of water around.

[@macmasks]

Great info! We see bats come from a neighbors attic vent in the evenings and we bought a bat house to be able to keep them around, should the neighbor landlord ever spot them. Found your channel looking for info on the correct way to mount it. Love the info you provide. Thanks!!

[@walterashley149]

About to put quite a few out. Tons of mosquitoes, pond, decently large flying area. This video answered quite a few questions I had..(was going to put in the shade) Thank you!!!

[@ApothecaryRdy]

Thanks for the video, just got a bat house and I'll take the tips and tricks here to make sure it works out for them.

[@BosephusBigelsworth]

Excellent info, very helpful. Thanks for posting!

[@herbertwaldron6494]

THANKS for video---I want to try and build a house for bats here in Central Florida

[@johnc.jadoobirsingh7755]

Great information, thanks for your service.

[@toro5338]

Many thsnks for your very interesting explications.Greetings from Switzerland.

[@ChurchClown7]

Thanks for these tips.

[@debrapodbros9969]

Extremely informative. Thank you

[@hudsonhousejournal7063]

After building the perfect one chamber bat house with cedar and plastic mesh and stainless steel screws, my large bat population refuses to leave the hollow tree that has been home for the past 20 years. The bat house is perfectly positioned 15 feet in the air on a pole in a mostly sunny location. But the rotted tree is over 65 feet tall and needs to come down. I am hoping to find a away to make the tree less attractive to the two dozen bats that live there. They don't seem to mind the endless parade of squirrels and birds constantly going through the hollow trunk and branches. We even have a returning hawk that nests every year about 300 feet away. In the summer the bats come out and fly around the neighborhood every night.

[@nancydrew5]

Lane Hudson

[@olsonlr]

I have heard that it needs to be in multiple chamber bat house in order for them to breed. You’re single chamber is only good for single males

[@RoomiesGarage]

learned a lot sir, thanks for sharing sir!!!

[@kathybaca]

We did all of that. Thanks. We had a swimming pool that was a pond next door. Squitas everywhere. House was on a lone pine and up high. ( Long Island ) Sandy took down the trees and trying again next summer on a high pole. Pool was cleaned up with new owners. Hoping.

[@h4bats]

kathybaca Hang in there, bats are picky critters. Sometimes they only use a roost occasionally and go unnoticed, it's still important for the roost to exist. In the NJ area we lost a lot of bat roosts and many of the bat houses we shipped were lost. We had many new and reorders from the area in the months following but it can take years for bats to fully return to an area. We also have no way of knowing how many bats were lost in that event, if a roost with bats in it was destroyed and blown to the ground and flooded it's unlikely many (if any) of that bats in that roost survived. Bats that were able to remain in their roosts that may have been stabilized and above the water line would fair much better by may have gotten out of town at the next opportunity. We'll have to wait and see how things recover, but I'm sure they will.

[@georgehare2915]

great info. thank you

[@danielvillalba7973]

As a pool guy in the Atlanta metro area it world be nice if every pool has a bat house near by

[@h4bats]

Wouldn't it be great! Thanks for loving bats!

[@danielvillalba7973]

If you ever get to go to Houston visit this park, in I went 2019 and this year for my sons robotics tournament and we went every night to see them. My girls loved it and my wife not so much lol

[@jeffstake2570]

Awesome info and well produced. We are moving to Big Lake MN , central eastern MN, where we know mosquitos will be wating . In my area, is there anything specifc we need to do outside of what you have covered here. Thanks again and great job.

[@h4bats]

Install a quality bat house, put it in a good location as described and wait. That's about all you can do. Sometimes you get bachelor colonies which will move around all year, come and go, stay a day/week/month and move on. They are less picky on exact conditions. If it is a really good location, you may get a maternal colony (which is what most people think of when they think of bats in a bat house). A maternal colony is the group that has the most specific needs and what the guidelines are based on. Thanks for loving bats!

[@DoctorBlankenstein]

Just got my first bat house, and man am I excited to set it up for the little ones. I heard some Long Island bats passing through my backyard last night, and I don't even have the house set up yet! With this, may hopes of actually getting some to live in their new home have been seriously boosted. Habitat For Bats (aka Batman): Am I wrong for thinking this? If I am already hearing bats in my yard, and I do the right thing with their home... I should be looking at bats quicker than others?

[@h4bats]

You are providing a roosting opportunity for the bats. Put it up in a good location and wait for them to move in. How fast will depend on many factors including on the predominant species in your specific area. If you have a large population of red bats they tend to use trees, not bat houses. But that does not mean other species are not around too. Keep a bat watch for those bats!

[@gabe608]

Neat thanks for the info love that you have helped me out I’m excited to have bat friends

[@h4bats]

Thanks for your comment and thanks for loving bats!

[@dadsvintagegarage7542]

great video...your bat in the background made it look you had bat ears....thanks for the content.

[@h4bats]

I was thrilled with the effect and it was not intended, a happy accident!

[@jaystern5936]

I have a house at Big Bear Lake, CA. In the summer (July - September), we have a colony of Little Brown Bats that calls our house their home. They roost under the roofing and exit along the edge. I would like to install a bat house for them in hopes of allowing the colony to grow. I haven't done it because I understood that the temperature wouldn't be high enough. During the day, the roofing temperature really is high. Of course, in the winter it snows and by then, they have all migrated south. So my question is, if I build a bat house, should I apply some fiberglass insulation to help make the temperature more consistent?

[@batsrule]

thanks

[@karenkeithharding8231]

Nice Bat 'ears' behind your head.Thanks for the info.

[@h4bats]

You are welcome! Thanks for loving bats!

[@studiosandi]

Thank you so much for this video!!!💖

[@h4bats]

You are welcome, thanks for loving bats!

[@ednixon9680]

Thanks, Great Video!

[@pwalpar]

Very well narrated my friend, I would think it might get too hot in a bat house in the open especially in the summer direct sunlight But Guess I am wrong LOL

[@nj4x4fever2]

Bat man you definitely know your stuff. Thanks for the video. I need to build a house for bats, we have had quite a bit of skeeters in my yard. I’ve tried to get rid of all the standing water. Will the bats keep the mosquito population down?

[@h4bats]

Bats will eat mosquitoes but do not intentionally target them. Think of bats as helping reduce bug populations all around, not as mosquito control. More bats means less bugs including mosquitoes.

[@LymanDuggan]

I have heard that if you put Bat droppings inside, it will help attract them. U of F might mail you some. KZbin UF Bat House and Bat Barn. Good luck with your fine project. I would like to see more of them. I have too many big oak trees on my property to erect one high enough to attract them, I think.

[@levicrane6101]

I live in south Mississippi. I have had this idea to build a large scale bat house to collect and sell the guano or at the very least use it in the garden. Do you have any tips for a large scale bat operation?

[@lesley-annmathews7971]

Thanks for this video

[@h4bats]

You are welcome and thanks for loving bats.

[@Nosaracasalaplaya]

I live in Costa Rica ,we have two seasons ,dry and rainy. Average temp during day in dry season is mid 90 . Evening mid 70. Rainy season mid to high 70 ,evenings maybe low 70s. And lots of clouds.Currently have a little guy roosting in our porch ceiling.we have a large overhang approx. 10. He seems okay.Not sure if I should have the house facing the sun or not and or color to paint the ext. thanks, Mario

[@h4bats]

I don't know what species you have there, or which your little friend may be, but if he has found a place he keep returning to, he's happy there. Also, not all species roost in colonies (i.e. not all with use bat houses) some species are solitary or live in small groups. In Costa Rica, you're going to have bats active year round.

[@mdiggie5046]

zes you have shown us how to build a bat house but what is the the cutting list or plans

[@joserP2009]

The mic picked up your heartbeat!

[@bantamdude]

joserP2009 And his heavy breathing. If there was a bat near bye, he would totally suck it down.

[@oh1stnflight221]

Thoughts on why after many years of having bats (90+) in my bat house, I no longer see them in there in the last few weeks when I check during the day. We're still having very warm/hot weather here in Ohio so I don't think they've migrated away.

[@chromasux2]

I put up a pine bat house last summer right next to our garden over a wide open yard. 1/10 mile from a creek and a pond, faces the right way. Yet only thing that's hung out up there is a sparrow that's built a nest three times. Hopefully one of these days I'll get the right things up there. I've seen them fly around.

[@h4bats]

Make sure you paint it, depending on where you are it may need to be darker to absorb enough heat for the bats to be comfortable. Bats prefer the temps between 85 and 100 degrees. Also, the size of the bat house should be at least 14 or so inches wide inside and 20+ inches tall to keep the interest of colony roosting species. The chambers (crevices) should be about 3/4" to 1" to work best for the bats. You can see our kits and finished bat houses at estore.habitatforbats.org Good luck and thanks for loving bats!

[@crw31399]

Just bought a bat house from someone who built it.he gave me some kind of bait to attract the bats.should I use it?

[@daryn86]

I love this guy

[@h4bats]

I will take that as a compliment.

[@Richard-ov6vt]

I’m having about 20 or so removed from my attic vent. I’m getting a bat house bc I definitely like having them around. I just hope they find the house I’m buying for them!

[@h4bats]

Place it according to the guidelines and wait. You can check out our website, eStore.HabitatForBats.org to find more information.

[@h4bats]

One primary reason is that Bats eat bugs, lots and lots of bugs!

[@kevinsavage5183]

Dear Batman, what about if we're putting this on the 25ft point of our garage roof and there is a light about 10 feet below the point. It is on all night for the backyard and I'm wondering if this will keep bats from using the bat house. We have plenty of mosquitos and fly's on our garage door during the night for them to feed on. It is the ideal placement for sunlight during the day and open area for them to go in and out from the bat house. Thanks for your videos, The Joker

[@cglarsen26]

Thank you. You cleared up many of my questions before I build a couple houses to place in my garage. I've seen bats sheltering in the gable vent so I was just going to place them right below that location about 14 ft high and paint the same color. If done properly, will they prefer the bat houses to the garage vents? It faces SSE.

[@cglarsen26]

Meant to say place 'on' my garage.

[@h4bats]

You will likely have to "sour" their current roosting location to get them to favor the bat house. The best way to do that is install the new bat house, then wait for them to leave for the winter and either add a screen over the vent or stuff a material like "Cobra Vent" made by GAF into the crevices so air can flow but the space is filled up. Another approach is to exclude them by putting something like netting over the vent and let it hang down, they can leave but then not return to the vent to roost. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

[@melanieb6914]

I wonder if our DNR posts info about it? Thanks for all the info.

[@h4bats]

Each State's DNR varies in their enthusiasm for bats. In Georgia, we are pretty lucky with a very active bat loving DNR. Check out www.gabats.org, that is the Georgia Bat Working Group and includes many DNR members.

[@SurvivingasMom]

Thank you for this. I would love bats in my yard! I'm definitely buying a bat house.

[@dryakichful]

Thanks for the video! I found a product called uncle dunkles bat attractant. Would you recommend that to attract them to the newly built bat house?

[@h4bats]

There is no known way to attract bats. I have asked dozens of bat biologists that exact question, all of them agree, no research supports any method of attracting bats. All of the stories are anecdotal "I spread bat guano and the next day, there were bats there!" We don't know the bats would not have shown up anyway. And they do show up all the time without bat guano, and bats are territorial, you could be telling them to stay away. What is known, bats can live up to 40 years in the wild, they learn by experience and remember. They are also curious, so they will be looking at their environment, what's in it and remembering where they can take shelter.

[@scotthenderson4376]

I am building a house with my grandson its 16"x 20" x 4.5" with a 5" landing area also screened. We are making a 1/2 divider for the inside and putting screen on all sections of divider and front and back panels also closing in the entrance to about 1" openings. Hopefully this will work good. my question is do you think I should add a pup catch section made of screen or will it do more harm then good it will be 15-20' up a tree facing south.

[@h4bats]

First, make sure you secure the screen VERY VERY VERY well. We get calls too often where people remove a bat house for maintenance and they find dead bats tangled in the mesh on the inside where either the stables were insufficient or rusted away allowing it come loose and tangle bats. We only used cut grooves for a roosting surface, but you can do it yourself by scaring the wood with a chisel or the end of a hand saw or using a router with a 1/8" bit to make cut marks. It does not have to be pretty or uniform, just scar up the inside to give the bats plenty of foot hold. They also don't have to be deep, 1/16" is plenty, they have very small claws and can cling well. As for the baby bat net... that will fill with guano if the holes are too small and could tangle the bats if too large and partially block the exit for the mature bats. Most bat species need to drop and fall a few feet before they can take flight, a net would block their ability to do that and force them to walk on the net out to the edge and try again. More time in the open moving about mean more exposure to hawk and other predators as well. They've survived without nets up to now, they'll do fine.

[@WontSeeReplies]

I’m wondering while in colder climates, if it would be worth sacrificing a little sunlight for a wind block? In Wisconsin for example, I can hang the house in direct 360 degree sunlight. But it’s also completely exposed to the elements. Where if I built it into the southeast side of my house, it would have a wind block and thermal consistency. Any thoughts? And how do they survive subzero winters?

[@h4bats]

Bats will typically not remain in a summer roost during the winter. Morning sun and at least sun until a little after noon would be the "normal" goal, but bats are creatures that make up their own mind. If somewhere is always windy, certainly some wind cover would be appreciated in a roost provided the temps remain comfortable for them (85 to 100 degrees F). i.e. I doubt they would trade a solid warm roost in the wind for a shielded 60 degree roost, it wouldn't make sense to them as they would have to burn fat to stay warm. Thanks for loving bats!

[@brock5925]

Just finished my first bat house construction. 4 chamber. Painted all black. Have a stream close by. Just conflicted on where to locate the house. Can I send you pictures of the house?

[@h4bats]

We have many videos featuring our bat houses and you can find them on estore.habitatforbats.org with product pictures. Maybe I'm not understanding what you are asking.

[@bagoodale]

What about keep them warm during the winter months or do they leave and come back? Sorry just started thinking about doing this to help with my mosquito problem, and I am completely ignorant on the subject.

[@h4bats]

Bats will typically leave during the winter and go hibernate or head south depending on the species and their location.

[@californiahikebike]

I would like to install a bat house or two on my property but have a huge woodpecker problem. Are there bat houses made out of a non-wood material that work?

[@h4bats]

Composite bat houses, in my experience, have been less successful. We designed and built a bat house made of full composites, PVC and a few other materials including trying a bat house that was roto-molded from a plastic like materials. They all failed temperature tests in direct sunlight. Unlike wood they transferred and held the heat too well, I was getting 140 degree temps inside while properly painted wood bat house was showing about 95 to 100 degree inside. If you do use one, make sure it has more shade and be careful with any direct sunlight. Wood peckers can be a problem during mating season. We have found not having anything for them to perch on greatly reduces the attack on bat houses. That's why we no longer include the "deco bat" on the front of our bat houses, it created a perch for woodpeckers. Another tactic we have used is to place a piece of aluminum flashing over the area(s) the wood peckers seem to like and paint them to match the bat house. Thanks for loving bats!

[@UndefinedBailiwick]

How do I attract a specific species of bat, though? I want Phyllostomidae bats so they can pollinate my cacti and other subtropical plants that flower during the night time. I'm in Las Vegas, NV and I know there's various species of bats here (they fly over the Luxor at night). The best one would probably be the California Leaf-nosed Bat, although I don't know if they would serve the same pollinization function as their close relatives from Central (southern part) and South America. Also, I already have Hawk Moths which pollinate during the nighttime, will the bats eliminate them from my yard? And would that overall be more or less beneficial for pollination? Can I put some bat houses out in the desert near caves and see if I can capture some?

[@h4bats]

Bat houses are for colony roosting species. There is no known way to intentionally attract bats except have a suitable environment for them and food. For nectar feeding bats, I have watched them use hummingbird feeders, you might try that.

[@piousminion7822]

I'm worried that full sun might be way too hot here in Florida, but I don't know. I'd hate to make a bat oven. Input?

[@h4bats]

Use a larger bat house, 3 or 4 chamber, they provide more areas inside to move around during the heat. Make sure it has vents on it and paint it a lighter color. Think of two identical cars, one black, one white. Both parked in the same parking lot on the same day with have vastly different temperatures inside simply due to the lighter color. In FL, I see a lot of pinks, light blues etc.... Good luck and thanks for loving bats!

[@charlotteskeeters3460]

I live in Oregon, it is October. Wonder if I should build & mount my bat house now in the Fall or wait until Spring. Where do bats go in the winter?

[@h4bats]

+Charlotte Skeeters The absolute best time to put up a bat house is when you can and will, any time of the year, even in the winter. Bats that use bat houses head south or find places to hibernate, typically in large colonies, for the winter so they won't be around. But, some theories hold that a bat house that has been installed and weathered a few months will be more appealing to bats than a bat house that was just installed a couple of days ago. This gives the bat house more time to smell natural than artificial and it will be there waiting for the bats when they return to the area. So, don't fret about when the best time is for the bats, find a good time for you and if that means you have more time to install one this Fall than you will in the Spring, go for it!

[@kcb3rd]

If the bat house gets too hot, regardless of color, can some very small vents be added to the side? Of course, make sure it is small and weather / water proof.

[@h4bats]

Our larger bat houses have side vents. You can certainly add more if needed/wanted. Our kits do not have side vents, the front vents tend to be enough for the 1,2,3 chamber kits. We are working on a 4 chamber kit that will have side vents.

[@NIGHTWATCHERUK01]

I live in London England and would like to encourage bats into the garden we can fix a 18' mast to the shed at the end of the garden, we get sun from early morning to sunset, there is also about a 200 feet clear flight path from the box across a private car park, how does noise affect a bat roost?..

[@h4bats]

We found a colony of bats roosting in a bridge on I-75 north of Atlanta GA. They didn't seem to mind the noise at all, though I was looking for some ear plugs myself.

[@Adam.Rushing]

How long is too long if you don't have bats in your bat house? If you don't have any within 2 years, should you start really investigating....or longer?

[@tedyoung9825]

I'm wanting to put up a bat house and the only good location I have is on a light pole in the open area. Will this work being that the light is on all night?

[@h4bats]

So long as you own the pole you should be good to go. Power companies are bit picky when it comes to accessories on their poles. As for the light, the bats are active at night and will gladly eat all the bugs the light attracts, so, you might help make them fat. Thanks for loving bats!

[@moxee33]

How do you get the temp right in the winter? I live in Los Angeles so I'm sure summer will be ok but winter will be too cold for them. What would you suggest?

[@h4bats]

No need to worry about the winter, when it gets too cold bats will either migrate to warmer climates or to a place to hibernate for the winter.

[@hdtripper1]

I was given a bat house and after reading your post I need to move it. One question. I remember when I was a kid living in Tucson I used to go out to the street lights and throw pebbles up in the air and watch the bats dive for them thinking they were bugs. I have an outdoor electric pole with a street light that comes on at dusk. What about attaching it to that. I'ts too high to attach the house above the light. Would the light coming on at dusk deter bats from moving in?South Haven,Mich.

[@h4bats]

The lights will not bother that bats, they will feed on the bugs they attract. However, you should never hang a bat house on a pole you do not own (assuming this is a power company pole) or a pole that may require workers to climb it for maintenance purposes (power or telecommunication poles). Thanks for loving bats!

[@mrstn123]

I live in Arkansas. Our summers are pretty hot. Up to 97 and a few 100 days.I put my bat house out in the full sun . Should I move it?

[@h4bats]

Full sun is fine, with the heat you have the option of getting some shade. Otherwise, you use a lighter color of paint to cool the house down. Don't use black, probably a medium brown to slightly lighter tan. Bats prefer the temps between 85 and 100 degrees.

[@hrcnick11]

Ok here is a tough question, can I put up a Purple Martin house and put a bat house under it on the same pole? Would they share the same pole?

[@h4bats]

Only if the pole is sturdy enough, other than that I see no issues as the bats and birds are active at different times of the day. Thanks for loving bats!

[@shawnlacue8071]

Would you think foot traffic would bother the bats? We have a pavillion down at our pond and I was thinking that would be a good spot. High enough, gets a lot of sun. Just curious if the bats would be bothered by us being under them when we're there?

[@h4bats]

Not likely to bother them. It is more likely their bat poop will bother you depending on where they are hanging out. Never hang a bat house directly over where kids may be playing, people may gather (like a patio table), windows, doors etc... It's best to put them over ground or plants where the guano can fall, mix into the ground, wash away when it rains and the sun can dry it. Thanks for loving bats!

[@stokmj]

i have a few acres next to a slew/lake that has, on some days, so many mosquitoes there is a high pitched hum in the air. so perfect place with lots of food for a bat. the question i have related to this video is..... the property has at least one great horned owl sometimes 2. what are the chances a bat house will be successful. any tips for me? thanks so much for your time!! its greatly appreciated!! :)

[@h4bats]

stokmj Placing the bat house in an open location, morning sun, away from tree limbs by at least 20 feet is a good start. No doubt the owl will prey on the bats in the area but it is already doing that. A good roost can give the bats a secure location to roost that the owl can't get into to get at pups etc... If you find an owl or hawk roosting on top of the bat house you can add some 2" or so screws to the top sticking up with something like electric fence wire to disrupt the landing area for them.

[@jonasschommer1671]

do I have to use cedar for bat houses? Here in Wisconsin cedar is very expensive. I would like to build them from pine. Does it really matter as I paint them black anyway.

[@h4bats]

Cedar is not required, in fact the oils from cedar could irritate the bats. It is a durable wood and properly dried and cured it is a good building material but not required. Besides, to get the heat in the bat house correct you'll need to paint it anyway. I do prefer to avoid plastics as they can get far too hot in dark colors nor do I know what some plastics might be off gassing as well. We use ACX exterior grade plywood, you can also use BC or even CDX. We prefer the higher grades for easy of work and quality. Make sure you do NOT get "Exposure 1" ply, that is not exterior grade and the glue will eventually fail if left exposed and de-laminate.

[@rhythmfield]

I have a new bat house in early September - Is this a good time to put it up to be potentially populated next spring or can you just put them up anytime of the year? When do they most likely hunt for a new home location?

[@h4bats]

Pretty much any time of the year is a good time to put up a bat house. But, by having it up in September it gives new pups time to find it and remember where they can find a good roost. When they return the next year, they will not necessarily be welcomed back to the maternal colony for various reasons and have to seek a new home. Thanks for loving bats!

[@shawnsmith4058]

Would planting plants and flowers attract them ?

[@h4bats]

Not so much attract bats, but attract bugs and moths which the bats will be seeking. Thanks for loving bats!

[@armendgashi6787]

Did anybody hear his heartbeats at the beginning of the video?

[@michaelcahill1450]

Armend Gashi now I can’t Unhear it

[@kevinwoolever2680]

I live in upstate New York and was wondering two things . 1) our winters and bats and 2) will bats bother my honey bees.

[@h4bats]

Bats live in New York and when it gets cold, they move on an hibernate. It was actually the caves in New York where hibernating bats were first exposed to White Nose Syndrome back around 2006, but that is a different story. Bat will not bother honey bees, they are out at different times and bats don't like getting stung any more than we do.

[@Green3062]

Can you use Boiled Linseed Oil for the interior of a bat house?

[@h4bats]

I would not for 3 reasons, first, "Boiled Linseed Oil" for wood finishes often has additives in it, it is not pure flax seed oil. Those additives can be harmful. Second, even if you use pure oil, it smells and could irritate the bats. Lastly, Boiled Linseed Oil takes a long time to try and is exothermic, meaning it can burst into flames as it dries. Give this bat house will be placed in directly sunlight, probably best not to use that oil.

[@andyalford7487]

I live close to the coast in Georgia, in Mcintosh County. Kinda flat down here, how likely am I to get a bat colony started down here?

[@h4bats]

Bats are everywhere including the coastal regions. If you look at one of our largest projects that was in Virginia, that was off the coast. We hope to get permission one day to go back and video the bat houses, we understand there are bats in them now.

[@tractorp2255]

im from georgia as well. Which color do you find works well down here. The house will be in full sun most of the day. It seems black would get way to hot.

[@h4bats]

We generally use a medium brown but for further South we sometimes go with a light brown. One good practice is to put up multiple bat houses each a different shade of color. Bats will actually move from house to house depending on their temperature inside.

[@tractorp2255]

thanks for the info. Ive always had an admiration for these creatures. It seems their numbers have been on the decline in my area lately though. They used to occupy a couple of abandoned buildings on our farm but i havent seen them in the past 2-3 years. Hopefully these houses will get them back in the area. Thanks for what you do and love your channel.

[@jeremyb5740]

We have had our bat box up for 3 years...we recently have seen 1 bat inside our bat box....it's a brown bat. Will more come or is this just maybe an anomaly? Will this one bat attract more???

[@h4bats]

It is possible more bats will show up. Or, this could be a bachelor bat just hanging out on his way through. Bats can live to be up to 40 years old the in the wild, they are one of the longest lived mammals for their size and they learn through experience and remember things that help them survive. They will also "bring friends" when they have found a good roost. There are maternal colonies (which is the kind of colony we tend to think of ) which contain females that give birth to a pup each year. That colony will typically roost int he same place year after year and give birth. They can reach large number, but males and non-reproducing pups will not be welcome in that colony. Then there are what we call bachelor colonies. These can be much smaller and will contain males and young pups. Those will move around more, they could be in one place one day and another place on another day. But both are important an need safe roosting space. I hope your bat friend will bring more friends and you will have a happy colony on your hands. Thanks for loving bats!

[@markhamilton6964]

Carlsbad caverns 55* ??

[@samanthakanagy4248]

I have two old window screens. Could I cut these to the appropriate size and use these as my mesh for a bat house?

[@h4bats]

We do not recommend meshes or screens. We prefer cut grooves or rough surfaces.

[@Tonygarry78]

What's a good measurement for a bat house? Say, buying some ceader fence pockets? I wanted to make it myself

[@h4bats]

About 15" wide and chambers should be 20" tall or more. Bigger is typically better (to a point) as it will have better heat characteristics.

[@catherinelejeal2847]

What happens to the bats during our summer days with 100 degrees temps in Portland Oregon if I paint my bat house black and the temp gets way to high a few days or weeks every summer?

[@h4bats]

You area probably calls for a dark brown, probably not black. Even so, the bat house should have vents about 1/3 of the way up and that area will remain at a lower temperature than the upper part of the bat house. If the upper parts gets too hot, bats will move down toward ventilation. When temps get unusually hot, it can be a challenge for the bats (just like it can be a challenge for everyone else) but they will typically find a way to cope, even leaving the bat house and hanging in the shade on sides of buildings during temps extremely high. I've even seen bats abandon normal roosts and head into sewers and culverts when temps hit 110 degrees. All we can do it our best and let the bats try to take care of themselves. Thanks for loving bats!

[@dorothysue1]

What Bat house would be the best for Southern California (Los Angeles) ?

[@h4bats]

Southern Cal, most likely a medium color. Larger bat houses will generally do better because they hold heat better.

[@TheOrcasRule]

I know mounting in a tree is not ideal, but I keep all the branches trimmed around it do you think it could work? I can face it South/southeast, and no branches above to shade it. It's really my only option for mounting, and I already made a few houses!

[@h4bats]

While trees are not the best place, I have seen bat houses successful in trees. It will depend how easily predators can get to it and if it is getting enough warmth. Sounds like your might!

[@TheOrcasRule]

@@h4bats Thanks! Maybe I'll give it a try anyway then!

[@rvalderas1]

If they like it hot, what do they do in the winter? Go South? Do they vacate the house?

[@mmaides]

They are in a state or torpor which is like hibernation. It is very important not to disturb their house at that time. If they wake from it and there isn't any food they will starve to death.

[@nicsalamin]

I have dozens of bats roosting inside my gambrel roof barn, if I place several bat houses on the outside of the barn, will they relocate ? The bat droppings have become quite a nuisance....

[@h4bats]

You can place bat houses, always the best first step. However, it is unlikely the bats will just move on their own. They will go out to feed at night and if you can find where they are leaving and place a net over it so they can crawl down to leave, the won't be able to get back in. If it is very confined, you could even tape papertowel or toilet paper cores over the hole so they can crawl out but not come back. If they are in the open and you are certain there are no pups involved, it should be fine. If there is any doubt that pups may be present, you need to wait until after about mid-August to exclude them to make sure the pups and fly and leave as well.

[@daveweber9737]

What about folks who live in hot areas like PHX Arizona? We have native bats here but temps here can routinely exceed 100 degrees for days. Any suggestions on where to place a box on my house?

[@h4bats]

Same basic rules for placement, facing S to SE, get morning sun. You can get shade sooner during the day (hotter climate) and you would want to consider a lighter shade of paint for your bat house. Depending on where you are exactly, you might go with a very light tan or even white if the bat house gets sun all the time. You also want a bat house with vents on it, not one with a solid face.

[@daveweber9737]

@@h4bats thanks

[@jesseelisabeatty3259]

LMFAO I found an old wood letter holder wondering if I can modify it into a bat house? Like put in small dowl sticks, to hold on to, and make the Chambers tighter..? Hang it upside down hang it up high . Do you think that might work.? I live in Daytona Beach FL.

[@h4bats]

It could certainly work if the material will stand up to the weather. I'm not sure how the bats would react, they typically like at least 20" or so of height in the chamber, but I've seen them roosting in much smaller houses before too. Seems the warmer the zone the more flexible they are on housing too as they don't have to rely on the structure to keep them warmer when it's colder outside.

[@email16v]

thanks. 2 years and no bats but I'm still providing that roosting opportunity!

[@h4bats]

Take the bat houses temperature one day and review it's location. You may find it is too cold or too hot.

[@blairbushproject]

We need a Zillow for bats that way they can check out available houses that want 🦇! We have two bat houses and no occupants. But we see them flying around!! We just need some bat juju.

[@DEADorALIVEkayaking]

I put my bat house up 4 years ago, and thought I'd just installed a wasp house until 3 days ago, when I saw some bats coming out of it! They'd been there for a little while, too...there were over a hundred!

[@catwilk8213]

With the bat decline in Ontario wouldn't it be a good idea to put bat houses on hydro pools where does possible or does that mess up their echolocation or something

[@h4bats]

I'm not familiar with "hydro pools". All I could find online was hot tubs. Bats are highly tolerant of their environment even when noisy and busy. We have a massive roost right here in a bridge on I-75 that has hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks daily going by. The bats literally roost inches away from tires going over their heads 24/7 and that colony is thriving.

[@VivianGlozmansPartner]

hi, are they around LA becuase i think that they will not find their way near a beach do you think they would come to the house????? its been in a good position but no bats...

[@h4bats]

There are bats in the LA area. If a bat house has been in a location for 3 years or more you may want to move it after examining the location if possible. Look at it closely first as you may have some residents you are not aware of using it in small numbers and randomly. Bats do not always return to the same roost night after night or use the same roost all summer or even roost in large colonies. The male bats specifically will often roost wherever they can find shelter for the evening and then move somewhere else the next evening. I've seen bat houses reported to be unused actually turn out to be used upon closer examination. One indication would be very small black spots on the pole/structure where the bat house is mounted. That's sign of guano and if you only have a couple of bats using it randomly, it would be very easy to miss.

[@christykrop3005]

What are your thoughts on hanging bat boxes under guard lights

[@h4bats]

So long as the guards don't mind, go for it! Actually, just make sure you own the pole. Bats are home and sleep during the day, there is no conclusive evidence one way or another that lights attract/repel/disturb or otherwise interfere with bats. The bats do love to eat the bugs attracted to the light though.

[@shawndubay4050]

Hi there. We have little and big brown bats. Found a baby bat in the flower garden in the open and directly in the sun in the very hot part of the day and put him or her in my bat house so he or she wouldn't get burned by the sun or dehydrate. Plus the danger of stray cats roaming. That would be terrible. We love our neighborhood bats and want more to live around here. More babies bats growing up the merrier Did I do the right thing by putting the baby in my bat house in a attempt to save its life?? The house is very close to where I found it. It also chirps from time to time.

[@h4bats]

Young bats can sometimes fall from their roost and sometimes they perish, it's part of what they face in nature. If the bat was an abandoned pup, it is unlikely to survive as it either lost its mother or was rejected for some reason. If the bat simply fell and you returned it to the roost, it should be fine. Any time you find a bat on the ground, never touch it with bare hands. The best approach if it has fur and looks otherwise healthy is to place it in a shoe box and set it at some height so it can drop down and fly away. Most bats species cannot take flight from the ground and need a glide path to get going. Bats are wild animals, can bite and carry disease, never handle a wild animal including bats without proper precautions. Thanks for loving bats!

[@shawndubay4050]

@@h4bats thank you and your welcome. I wore gloves, put him up on the bat house landing pad and mom took him later that night as it was getting dark. Was pretty cool to see her come and get him. She passed right by me and seemed to be quietly humming.

[@cpoutdoors7483]

have some bats in my backyard, my wife said I can have a bat house. do you sell them? Im pumped and am ready to install

[@h4bats]

Yes, please check out our online store at estore.habitatforbats.org Thanks for loving bats!

[@jameshambrick7918]

Can I put my bat house on a light post at the end of my driveway? It faces south and is sunny. Will the light keep them away? Thanks!

[@h4bats]

The light is not likely to bother the bats in the least, they are out having a good time at night and eating all the bugs it attracts. Just make sure you own the pole you mount the bat house own and its location will not interfere with access to the light for maintenance. Power companies tend to discourage people hanging stuff on their poles.

[@jameshambrick7918]

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I hung it up this afternoon, I got it as high as I could and will now hope to get bats that eat some of our mosquitoes 🦟😝

[@nailheadkruz]

Any reason not to try a wasp spray if you get wasps in there?

[@h4bats]

Bats can be harmed by the wasp spray. Paper wasps (those that build those papery nests) won't typically build in space less than about 1" With 3/4" chambers they are less likely to build inside and more likely to build on the outside. Once the bats occupy it, they will help keep wasps out. Until then, best thing to do is knock the wasp nests down when the wasps are not present using a 1/2 stick of PVC pipe.

[@bigbearhungry983]

I hung a Bat House up early this spring. Today I saw a Hornet fly in. Will this keep Bats from moving in?

[@h4bats]

Bats should not be bothered by an occasional "bee" visitor of any kind. However, if Hornets have begun building a large next inside the bat house (and this depends on the bat house design as to if they would even try) it could keep the bats out. Bat's don't like to get stung anymore than we do.

[@TheWritingGirl]

i got a bat house and a put in a 16 foot pole , question is I have power lines back end of my easements..how far away should I put the house to it so it doesnt harm them? I have Mexican free-tailed bat and yellow bats feeding now

[@h4bats]

You should stay well away from power lines for your own protection when installing or servicing the bat house. The bats themselves will be fine.

[@chief1193]

MischievousKittie how Mischievous are you?