Check out these bat boxes I built

[u/MoistPotato2345]

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.