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Bats
Upper Left:  The endangered "Indiana Bat"


Bats have lived in America since the age of dinosaurs. Today they rank among our most endangered wildlife. The loss of bats threatens the balance of nature and our economy.

The majority of bats in the United States eat insects; a few bat species in the Southwest and in Florida drink nectar and pollinate plants.

In fact, bats are very important controllers of night-flying insects. One little brown bat can catch up to 1,200 mosquitoes in just one hour! Bats help control many insects that attack farm and garden crops. Having bats around helps reduce our dependence on insect-killing chemicals, benefitting human health and nature.

Of the 45 kinds of bats living in the United States, seven are in danger of becoming extinct:
  • The greater (Mexican) long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is an insect and nectar feeding bat found in the Big Bend region of southwestern Texas. Nectar feeding bats are primary pollinators and spread the seeds of many desert plants.
  • The lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) is an insect-and nectar-feeding bat found in the caves and mines of the Southwest. This bat helps pollinate the saguaro and organpipe cacti and the agave, the plant from which tequila is made.
  • The Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) is Hawaii’s only nativebat. It helps control night-flying insects.
  • The gray bat (Myotis grisescens) forages over rivers and reservoirs in the Southeast and depends on a few caves in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama to hibernate, roost, and bear young.
  • The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) roosts in hollow trees or underneath the loose bark of trees in eastern woodlands during the summer and depends on just nine caves for winter hibernation.
  • The Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) is found only in a few caves in the mountain and plateau regions of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
  • The Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) is found only in a few caves in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

    Despite their many values, more than half of America’s bat species are endangered or in decline. But you can help keep these bats alive!

    Here are five steps for starting your friends of the bat campaign.
    1. Learn all you can about bats.
    2. Do not use pesticides or dump chemicals into waterways.
    3. Stay out of caves that are gated or have signs posted
    4. Never shoot, poison, or harm bats or the places they live.
    5. If you find a bat, please leave it alone. Bats can bite in self-defense like most wild animals.

SINGLE CHAMBER BAT HOUSE (WALL MOUNTED)

 

economyhouse1.jpg
economyhouse2.jpg
Materials Needed (makes 1)
1/4 sheet ( 2' x 4' ) 1/2" ACX, BCX, or T1-11 (outdoor grade) plywood. DO NOT use pressure treated wood.
One piece 1" x 2" (3/4" x 1 1/2" finished) x 8' pine (furring strip)
20-30 exterior grade screws, 1"
One pint dark, water-based stain, exterior grade
One pint water-based primer, exterior grade
One quart flat water-based paint or stain, exterior-grade
One tube paintable latex caulk
1" x4" x 28" board for roof (optional, but highly recommended)
Black asphalt shingles or galvanized metal (optional)
6-10 roofing nails, 7/8" (optional)

Recommended Tools

Table saw or handsaw
Caulking gun
Variable speed reversing drill
Screwdriver bit for drill
Paintbrushes
Phillips bit for drill
Tape measure or yardstick
Scissors (optional)
Staple gun (optional)
Hammer (optional)
Tin Snips (optional)

Construction Procedure
1. Measure and cut plywood into three pieces:
   26 1/2" x 24"
   16 1/2" x 24"
   5" x 24"

2. Roughen inside of backboard and landing area by cutting horizontal grooves with sharp object or saw. Space grooves about 1/2" apart, cutting 1/16" to 1/32" deep.

3. Apply two coats of dark, water-based stain to interior surfaces. Do not use paint, as it will fill grooves, making them unusable.

4. Measure and cut furring into one 24" and two 20 1/2" pieces.

5. Attach furring strips to back, caulking first. Start with 24" piece at top. Roosting chamber will be 3/4" wide (front to back).

6. Attach front to furring strips, top piece first (don't forget to caulk). Leave 1/2" vent space between top and bottom front pieces.

7. Caulk around all outside joints to further seal roosting chamber.

8. Attach a 1" x 3" x 28" board to the top as a roof, if desired (optional, but highly recommended).

9. Paint or stain exterior three times (use primer for first coat).

10. Cover roof with shingles or galvanized metal (optional).

11. Mount on building (south or east sides usually best).

Optional Modifications to the Small Economy Bat House
1. Wider bat houses can be built for larger colonies. Be sure to adjust dimensions for back and front pieces and ceiling strip. A 3/4" support spacer may be required in the center of the roosting chamber for bat houses over 24" wide to prevent warping.

2. Two bat houses can be placed back to back, mounted on poles. Before assembly, a horizontal 3/4" slot should be cut in the back of each house about 9" from the bottom edge of the back piece to permit movement of bats between houses. Two pieces of wood, 1" x 4" x 4 1/4", screwed horizontally to each side, will join the two boxes. To provide additional roosting space, leave a 3/4" space between the two houses, and roughen the wood surfaces or cover the back of each with plastic mesh. (Do not cover the rear exit slots; see item 4 below).
One 1" x 4" x 34" vertical piece attached to each side over the horizontal pieces blocks light, but allows bats and air to enter. A galvanized metal roof, covering both houses, protects the center roosting area from rain. Eaves should be about 3" in southern areas and about 1 1/2" in the north.

3. Ventilation may not be necessary in cold climates. In this case, the front should be a single piece 23" long. Smaller bat houses like this one will be less successful in cool climates. However, those mounted on buildings gain heat faster, maintain thermal stability better and are more likely to attract bats.

4. Durable plastic mesh can be substituted for roughening to provide footholds for bats. Attach one 20" x 24 1/2" piece to backboard after staining interior, but prior to assembly.