Bat Houses

Mounting a bat house on your property is the perfect way to help bats who are in need of a safe place to live while protecting your yard from pesky night-flying insects.

NOTE

Not all bat houses are built alike. Some bat houses are made by people who know a lot about marketing and nothing about bats. Beware of bat houses that do not come with complete mounting instructions, Bat houses should have grooved or roughened walls making it easy for bats to grip with their toes and move about inside the house. The house should also have ventilation slots. Houses should be made of solid wood that won’t warp. Hardy board should never be used as the houses will overheat, causing the bats to experience heat exhaustion and stroke.

Pup Catcher

If you are lucky enough to end up with a nursery colony in your bat house then mounting a pup catcher is critical. A pup catcher will prevent bat pups from falling to the ground, which frequently happens during summer months when bat houses become overcrowded or overheated. A pup catcher is very simple to create and will save lives. Click here for video instructions.

The links below provide free plans and information that has proved successful for a number of years.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: While some of the plans on the links below recommend using screens inside the houses for bats to cling, the screen has been shown to deteriorate and possibly even trap bats inside where they die. We therefore recommend grooving the wood (a reverse ladder effect) so the bats can cling to the inside of the house safely and comfortably. This does not apply to the screen used for pup catchers as it can easily be seen and replaced when needed.