nice plans. I just wanted to add, friends of mine had bat houses on their barn. It took 4 years for the bats to move in.

Did the bats come back every year once they were there? Or stay there year round?

bats & bat houses
 

At the college in Gainesville, it took several years for the bats to move into the bat house they had built. The first year that the bats roosted there. they were almost all males, the following year mostly females. My guess is the smell once it is used by bats will attract them from then on. Good luck.

I was given a bat house and it says it could take a couple years for bats to take up home. Not sure why?
I may move mine to a more direct sun area. Not so easy in the Seattle area.

I don't have enough posts here to post a linke yet, but there is a FAQ page on this. for more about bats and houses than you can imagine, try bat conservation international - the link (you may have to copy and paste in in the browser) talks about placement.

Or go do a search for bat conservation international and bat houses like I did and you'll find the same tidbits with a bit of poking around. Viva la bats!

I know this is old but I have a friend with a similar experience as some of you guys.

His house has been a work in progress over the alst 10 years and 2 years ago he finally got new roof and siding put on. At that time he closed up the hole the bats had been using that whole time.

Put up a bat house and they won't even touch it.

Are there scents or fruit or something you could place in there? Or perhaps a speaker that can be used to play bat sounds like you would do with a swift box?

I had to remove a bat infestation in my eaves in a previous house. I learned you first have to find out where they are coming in and out by watching quietly at dusk. Then, seal off any other potential entry areas before exclusion. To exclude them, cover their entry/exit with a hanging sheet of clear plastic(so you can confirm their exit) at least 2 ft against some surface (the house siding in my case). They will come out and work their way to the edge of the plastic to fly away, but can't find their way back under that to return, since they want to go to their usual entry point, now covered.

Bat houses have to be warm and dry with 3/4" or smaller spaces between the walls/dividers. If it is too hot during the day or too cool at night, or doesn't smell right, or is too wide, they will go elsewhere. IIRC, the book I read said to change the positioning on the same tree (changing the time of day for peak temps) after a few weeks if it doesn't attract them. If that doesn't work, start moving the houses to different locations and try again.

Hoooray!

I've been banging around building a covered firewood shelter against the side of the shop where the bat houses are. Fastening strapping this afternoon I heard noises coming from the bat houses. A quick peak inside - bats!

I may have to raise the bat houses higher now as the roof I'm building is to be a green/living roof of wild flowers (we have bees to keep happy) and the new 'grade' will not be much below the entrance to the bat houses as things sit now. One more season should have things dialed in.

Cheers, Greg

Very cool Greg, glad to hear the houses are working out for you. Any chance we can get some pictures of the placement of these houses?

As it is right now.


http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps11c15d00.jpg