Gardening with bats?

[Rosalind]

Is there any way you can take pictures as they leave the box? A fast shutter speed should capture the wings and everything. That would be awesome. How close can you get without spooking them?

How close can they get without spooking me? They don't seem to mind me, although they mind the dogs barking at them. I would have to get infrared film I think--I'd imagine that with a fast shutter speed it would be far too dark to get a good pic, but with a slow shutter speed I'd only get a brown blur. There must be somewhere around here that does infrared film, but I think it's rather hard to find these days.

 

[seedcorn]

Most definitely! Actually I think DH would prefer to buy more. The local Mill Stores has them for only $15.

Are these local built or a company that we could order them from? I'm afraid shipping would at least double the cost. At that cheap of a price, I'd put up several.

 

[Rosalind]

Think they are only available locally--Massachusetts, Connecticut, RI, NH, Maine. Sadly they do not do online orders. They don't look difficult to build though.

 

[seedcorn]

Could you post the dimensions of your bat house?

 

[Rosalind]

It is about 8" wide by 12" tall x 6" deep on the outside, made of 1" thick rough-cut lumber so the bats will have something to grab on. There is another 1" board inside the box dividing it width-wise down the middle, so there's two openings the length of the box that are a little over an inch wide for the bats to roost. Maybe 1 3/8 inch wide. The roof is angled to let water run off. There is another board on the back so it can be conveniently hung on a fence or some such.

 

[seedcorn]

It is about 8" wide by 12" tall x 6" deep on the outside, made of 1" thick rough-cut lumber so the bats will have something to grab on. There is another 1" board inside the box dividing it width-wise down the middle, so there's two openings the length of the box that are a little over an inch wide for the bats to roost. Maybe 1 3/8 inch wide. The roof is angled to let water run off. There is another board on the back so it can be conveniently hung on a fence or some such.

thank you for the dimension. All the plans I saw were 2' and taller up to 6'. This is very doable. How many bats do you get into it? So they roost on the inner wall or is that just to seperate them?

I've got (used to be nice pond long time ago) that is now a swamp thanks to previous owners that could use some bats......

 

[Rosalind]

Depends on the size of the bats. Or, I guess, how friendly they are. I counted six in there the past couple of nights, but when I looked this morning to get the dimensions, they are way up in the top--easily room for more.

It just occurred to me that the bats probably line up in the top, but I wonder if any would roost underneath that line? You know what I mean? Like this:
______________________
| *bat* *bat* *bat* *bat* |
| |
| *bat* *bat* *bat* *bat*|
| |

Would the lower level of bats get pooped on? Do they only nest in one layer to avoid getting pooped on? If so, why are all the bat box designs I see so tall? Wouldn't it make more sense to make a shorter but wider version with more dividers?

 

[seedcorn]

so the middle wall is just a divider, nothing more?

 

[Rosalind]

Looks like just a divider, yes. Two apartments' worth of bats.