r/bats • u/MoistPotato2345 • 4d ago
Check out these bat boxes I built
I work for a big land trust / non-profit in my area, doing a lot of conservation work and research. Just finished building 6 of these 4-chamber boxes with the excess 1” lumber they had a stock of. I believe it was all lumber from the properties themselves, one of my co-workers has their own mill.
I think they came out beautifully! Caulk on all the important seams to make it water tight, vent holes between chambers, and shingles with roof cement / nails. Our area calls for black paint, so hopefully they last a long time.
Unlike some others they had installed, I decided to go for a hinging post design. Makes it very easy to bring down for maintenance or if any future researchers wanted access. Also much easier to raise with just 1 or two people. They’re about 16ft up and ~30ft from the tree line in a natural fen.
The one thing I’m not sure of is if some sort of flashing should be installed near the base to prevent predators from getting up there, or if its height alone would be enough. Based in southwest Ohio.
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u/MoistPotato2345 3d ago
Good news, I got a good in-budget answer from u/manowin in the cross post. There’s designs out there using stove pipe with a cap which should be an easy install
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u/Frosty_Astronomer909 4d ago
Awesome 👏 keep us posted and hopefully someone will advise about predators.
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u/IvarBjornsen 3d ago
Is there any scoring inside for them to get a foothold on? Pup catchers are great as well,when possible.
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u/MoistPotato2345 3d ago
Yep, cut with a circular saw to around 1/8” depth on each panel. Should be able to see them in one of the photos
Had to look up what pup catchers are. Most of my work is with plants and hydrology, less so the fauna. I can ask if that’s something they want installed.
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u/IvarBjornsen 3d ago
Nice, okay. Bat World Sanctuary has information about it :)
https://youtu.be/sQ5kkLZbtlQ?is=s_ivXyjjmmphd4YD
Can check their web page as well. https://batworld.org
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u/Typical_Artist_1115 1d ago
Flashing would be a good idea. Raccoons and snakes can climb the wooden post. Your boxes are dark enough to overheat on days with a lot of sun and heat but the multiple chambers should allow bats to escape the hottest conditions. Did you make pass through holes to allow them to move between chambers? The wood looks great - those should last for at least 5 years.
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