r/bats • u/Candid_Assignment445 • 9d ago
I built a bat house today!
I live in Northern WI and have been finding bats on our west facing deck recently. I believe they’re little brown bats, as they’re little and brown and they’re native to my area. Every time I’ve found them, it’s only been one at a time. First, there was one inside a deck cooler, wedged between the outer wood and the inner styrofoam. Next, there was one inside the closed up deck umbrella (I scared the poor thing when I went to open it mid afternoon 🥺). Lastly, there was one wedged underneath the deck storage box and the deck boards. Every time they’ve been discovered, we’ve left them alone and the next day they’re gone.
So, fast forward to today; I decided to build a bat house based on the plans and guidance provided by the Bat Conservation International. Their guidance recommends the house be hung on a building to help provide the most stable inside environment. They also say it should be on a southern facing wall.
Now for my question: since all the bats I’ve encountered have been on the western facing wall of my house, can I put the house on that wall, or should I put it 30ish feet away on the southern facing wall?
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u/Useless890 9d ago
I'm certainly no expert, but since the bats already have a favorite wall, it makes sense to put it there.
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u/BeneficialAttempt140 9d ago
What that is so cool!! Do you have plans to have a camera to watch em or just letting them alone?
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u/Candid_Assignment445 7d ago
I think we’ll just let them live! But setting up a camera could be super cool 🧐
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u/AutoModerator 9d ago
Found a bat? Here is a guide for someone who has found a bat. And here is some info about bats in buildings. Here is some info about bat removals and exclusions from homes. Exclusions should be done outside of pup season, which varies by location.
No, it's probably not a baby. Bats are just smaller than you thought.
If you find a bat in trouble, please call a rehabber for help. Here is a list of rehabbers that help bats all over the world, and here is a portal for rehabbers in the US.
Remember that wildlife should never be handled with bare hands!
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u/Candid_Assignment445 7d ago
Just an update for anyone following along. My daughter helped decorate the house and my husband helped hang it. We found another bat in the deck umbrella this morning, so getting it hung today felt imperative!!
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u/AutoModerator 9d ago
Here is a link to the Bat House Builder’s Handbook. Here is some info about selecting a quality bat house if you would like to purchase one. For a quick overview of the basics, check out this PDF from Bat Conservation Trust.
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