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Bat House Plan Prepared By: Name XYZ
Table of Contents I.
Bat House.............................................................................................................2
II.
Bat House Design.................................................................................................2
III.
Parts......................................................................................................................2
IV.
Recommended tools.............................................................................................3
V.
Wood Cutting........................................................................................................3
VI.
Putting grooves on the back piece........................................................................4
VII.
Staining inside the bat house................................................................................4
VIII. Caulking and screwing on the sides.....................................................................5 IX.
Caulking and screwing on the top pieces.............................................................5
X.
Mount the untreated.............................................................................................5
XI.
Cost of Bat House................................................................................................6
XII. Where to Put Your Bat House...............................................................................7 XIII. Yearly Maintenance...............................................................................................7 XIV. Collecting Data on Your Bat Residents................................................................7 XV.
Organize a Bat House Building Party..................................................................8
Bat House As humans cut down trees and build in the forests where Northwest bats live, the bats need new homes. You can help bats by creating manmade habitat for them in the form of this easy to build bat house. Your bat house may give bats a place to rest during the day or to nurse a baby. In return, they help humans in many ways, such as eating 600-1,000 insects an hour. All over the world, we can thank bats for healthier crops and healthier people, for being major contributors to such ecosystems as rainforests, deserts, and cave systems, and for providing numerous items of use to humans such as balsa wood, mangos, carob, figs, cashews, guavas, bananas, rope fibers, and fertilizer.
Bat House Design In order for a bat house to successfully encourage bats to reside in your roost, research has shown that a few key characteristics are necessary while choosing a design for your bat house. -The most successful bat houses are at least two feet tall, 14 or more inches wide, and are open at the bottom. The opening prevents buildup of guano and parasites, and lessens the need for routine cleaning.
Parts 4"x4" untreated post, at least 5' long (see mounting options) † ½" or larger plywood or lumber † Small amount of shingle roofing (if possible) † Mounting hardware: lug bolts, etc (see mounting options) † Galvanized exterior-grade screws † Wood scraps or metal lug nuts to act as spacers (¾" to 1" thick) † Black exterior house paint † Paintable wood caulk
Recommended tools
Table saw or circular saw (some hardware stores will pre-cut lumber for you) Miter box Tape measure Square Variable speed reversing drill with drill bits and a screwdriver bit Caulking gun Rough sandpaper, rasp or wood file
Wood Cutting Ensure and mark where you need to cut the wood according to the plan. Clamp it down to a sturdy spot for safety. You cannot safely hold the wood and the circular saw. Adjust the blade to the correct depth depending on the width of your wood. It takes only five cuts. Don't forget your safety glasses. Building a bat house At this point, I took the wood and laid it together to get a sense of how this was going to look. You'll see that the bottom piece is the biggest. The 1X2 inch pieces form the sides of the bat house and then there are two smaller pieces of plywood on top. The gap between those two is a ventilation slot.
Putting grooves on the back piece The instructions say that the grooves need to be about a half inch apart, so I measured and marked where I thought the grooves should go. When it came time to cut the grooves, what I found challenging was that I didn't know what type of tool to use.
Staining inside the bat house 
Bats like it dark inside their houses so it's important to stain all inside parts a dark color. First you have to sweep all the sawdust carefully from the backboard, especially from the grooves that

you cut. I chose a walnut stain because it was the darkest one at the store. It's important to use stain rather than paint because paint would fill in the grooves you just cut. Stain just soaks into the wood nicely.
Caulking and screwing on the sides Next you use your power drill to attach on the side pieces. Since these pieces are rather narrow, they can easily split. A way to avoid splitting is to pre-drill the holes with a drill bit that is smaller than the size of your screw. Then, when you drill in the screws, they go in much easier and your wood stays whole.
Caulking and screwing on the top pieces Before you attach the smaller of the two pieces, measure to make sure your ventilation slot is about half an inch.
Mount the untreated
4"x4"x6' pole from the plan to another treated 4"x4" pole that extends to the ground. This method requires a concrete base in the ground to secure the stand and combat rot. The two 4"x4" sections can be connected with a metal bracket (like those used in deck construction) or by notching each of the two ends and securing with lag bolts (diagram to right). 2. Use a 12'-13' untreated 4"x4" pole, treat the bottom several feet and sink into ground with concrete, as above. 3. Drill a hole into the untreated 4"x4" pole from the plan to accommodate a 2" metal pipe. If the metal pole is installed 2 ½ to 3 feet into the ground, concrete should not be necessary. This is the more durable and less expensive option. It is important your bat house be heated by the sun as much as possible; it should be installed in full sun. The best option is on a pole in an open area. Bats avoid houses placed in areas where predators—cats, rats, raccoons.
Cost of Bat House
Where to Put Your Bat House Where you place your bat house is the most important factor determining how successful you are at encouraging bats to use the site. -Bats like it hot (90 F°-100 F°), so put your bat house where it will receive large amounts of sunlight. Orientate the house in a south to southeast facing direction to capture as much midday sun as possible. Six hours of direct sunlight a day is ideal. If two bat houses are being installed back to back, place one facing south and one facing north or one facing east and one west to allow for varying temperatures. -Bats are associated with water, especially maternity colonies, so putting your bat house within a quarter mile of a water source such as creek, pond, river, lake or stream, is a great way to encourage bats to take up residence. -The best habitat for many species contains lots of diversity. Place your bat house in an area with a mixed agriculture/forest/urban landscape. -Mount your bat house away from trees to discourage predation and allow for flyways. Place it about 10-15 feet away from trees, but keep it sheltered from winds. Do not place on top of a hill where it may be subject to excessive winds.
Yearly Maintenance A bat house that is built correctly requires minimal maintenance, but should be checked yearly for any problems or unwanted guests. -Any maintenance should be done in the months when bats are not present (November to early March). -Check for any cracks, warps, leaks or exposed unpainted wood on the house that may need minor repairs.
Collecting Data on Your Bat Residents You’ve now successfully built and mounted your bat house. The information you can gather from your bat house will provide critical long term monitoring data for bat studies in the state. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has created a bat roost monitoring program throughout the state. To
join in the advancement of our knowledge of Wisconsin bats, contact Wisconsin DNR bat monitoring program and sign up today. Roost monitoring entails counting bats as they exit your bat roost just a few times per year.
Organize a Bat House Building Party You will be able to produce many more bat houses if you create a system that mass produces different parts of the bat house. Plus it’s fun to work with family and friends. Donate extra bat houses to friends, family and places like nature centers and schools or sell the remaining houses as a fundraiser for your local group.