These last few days I've been busy in my workshop making a bat house! In the garden on and off, while waiting for glue or a coat of stain to cure, but that's what I've been up to. I just dug out some scrap white pine, and some luan (the wood they make the thin plywood with - got tons of it rough cut years ago) to make those baffles with. I still have to attach the roof, then figure out where I am putting it, though I'm pretty sure were. Here it is, so far.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91097628@ ... 8969061872
I'm hoping that the bats will take up residence here, and eat some of those bugs out there!
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pepperhead212
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applestar
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Ooh I hope they come and stay — I believe in southern NJ they are summer vacationers in typical small bat houses, although it looks like you are making a big condo-type so maybe they will find it more to their liking.
In my area, there used to be many bats — flying in the street lights at night, when the neighborhood backroads were lined with horse farms — but I think I put mine up too late — AFTER all the barns where they lived were torn down to make way for the housing developments.
My sad (3 narrow slot store-bought) bat house has been up but unoccupied. I had put up my bat house the year before there was that report about the bat disease outbreak, too, so my potential tenants may have dwindled. I might have had more success if I had been allowed to put up the bat house on the streetlight pole across the street— according to my research that was the best spot around here (I actually asked, but the township official in charge told me they couldn’t approve the unusual request) — my house is oriented wrong to install the bat house against it, and we had to put up a pole in the only available likely location possible.
After that DH said he wasn’t going to move it — I might have insisted, but we haven’t seen bats flying around either.
In my area, there used to be many bats — flying in the street lights at night, when the neighborhood backroads were lined with horse farms — but I think I put mine up too late — AFTER all the barns where they lived were torn down to make way for the housing developments.
My sad (3 narrow slot store-bought) bat house has been up but unoccupied. I had put up my bat house the year before there was that report about the bat disease outbreak, too, so my potential tenants may have dwindled. I might have had more success if I had been allowed to put up the bat house on the streetlight pole across the street— according to my research that was the best spot around here (I actually asked, but the township official in charge told me they couldn’t approve the unusual request) — my house is oriented wrong to install the bat house against it, and we had to put up a pole in the only available likely location possible.
After that DH said he wasn’t going to move it — I might have insisted, but we haven’t seen bats flying around either.
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pepperhead212
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I finished that bat house yesterday morning, putting the last coat of stain on the roof and sides, and let it dry until this afternoon, when a friend and I installed it. It was quite heavy, being made out of a bunch of scrap white oak. I drilled some holes through the conduit, putting two into the house, plus two into the post it was attached two, plus two double screw conduit straps into each. Then I put a 4" hose clamp around the pipe, 2x4, and the post coming up from the ground. I might put one more of those on.
Finished bat house. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Installed bat house. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished bat house. by pepperhead212, on FlickrInstalled bat house. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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pepperhead212
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Not when you have a bunch of scrap wood around! lolDaisy222 wrote:Great job! Is it expensive to make such bat house?
Seriously, I had all that stuff in my workshop, except for the hardware cloth (which I had some of, but not enough), which cost just over $8, with tax. I looked for wood that would be good for outdoor, and I had a good amount of white oak pieces. Most plans I saw called for getting some exterior plywood - 3/4" for the sides and roof, and 1/4" for the baffles. I glued up some 3/4" oak for the sides, and some 1/2" for the roof, using some biscuits, and resawed some 3/4" for the baffles, then planed them all to the same thickness. So you can see why plans usually call for plywood!
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applestar
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I think that particularly in view of the tremendous negative press the bats have had in the past year, we need to balance our thinking with the benefits they can provide before making a judgment.
For me, MOSQUITOES is almost enough to wipe out anything in the negative ledger. It’s almost becoming accepted commonplace to have chemicals sprayed to prevent mosquito overpopulation in the area — both by commercial services and for public health. In both cases, the overwhelming fear-mongering to promote the process conveniently forgets to mention possible hazards from the chemicals to humans, children, and pets ... as well as to BENEFICIAL insects that use the same habitat as mosquitoes.
To me, the dwindling bat population in the area is a sign that natural and rural habitats are steadily being diminished/destroyed. As humans spread out and suburbanize and urbanize, flattening everything as we go. So I would like to do what I can to leave less of a foot print and preserve the diverse creatures and natural order and be a better neighbor.
Yes, there are bat-related negatives.
For me, MOSQUITOES is almost enough to wipe out anything in the negative ledger. It’s almost becoming accepted commonplace to have chemicals sprayed to prevent mosquito overpopulation in the area — both by commercial services and for public health. In both cases, the overwhelming fear-mongering to promote the process conveniently forgets to mention possible hazards from the chemicals to humans, children, and pets ... as well as to BENEFICIAL insects that use the same habitat as mosquitoes.
To me, the dwindling bat population in the area is a sign that natural and rural habitats are steadily being diminished/destroyed. As humans spread out and suburbanize and urbanize, flattening everything as we go. So I would like to do what I can to leave less of a foot print and preserve the diverse creatures and natural order and be a better neighbor.
Yes, there are bat-related negatives.
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