Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Learn to understand the behavior of bats
• Method 2 of 3: Prepare to Build a Bat House
• Method 3 of 3: Build a bat house
• Tips
• Warnings

Bats are useful and very interesting mammals. These animals help control the number of nocturnal flying insects, including mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Undoubtedly, watching the bats circle around the garden is very exciting. This article will discuss the behavior of these animals and how to build a house for them.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Learn to understand the behavior of bats

1. 1 Learn more about the bats that live in your area. There are two types of these animals, and they look and behave differently.
   • Bats living in central Europe belong to the Microchiroptera family (small bats). In addition to being small (which is usually not a defining feature of this species), they differ from their closest relatives in short noses and snouts, small eyes and large ears.
   • Megachiroptera is a family that includes larger bats, but they are more common in tropical climates in Australia, South Asia and the Mediterranean. These mice have elongated muzzles, and some even believe that they resemble rats or dogs, which is why they are often called flying foxes in Australia and southwest Asia.
2. 2 Learn how bats feed. If you want to attract them to your home, you will need to lure them with food.
   • Small bats that live in temperate regions move at night and use echolocation to search for flying insects, which form the basis of their food. If there are no flying insects near your house at night, you may not be able to attract bats.
   • Large bats feed mainly on fruits and nectar. They look for ripe fruits and flowering plants all year round.
3. 3 Find out where the bats sleep. Food is a major factor in the survival of these animals, but they also need shelter. Different bats have different hiding places.
   • Small bats that feed on insects live in caves or tree hollows. Some species prefer to huddle together to keep it warm. Since bats often live in secluded spaces, they may like a house specially made for them.
   • Flying foxes and other fruit-eating bats usually live in large numbers in small areas of the forest.Since a flock of bats makes loud sounds and smells from them, and also because they can destroy the forest, most often they try to destroy the settlements of bats.
4. 4 Consider how you can use the behavior of bats to your advantage. If you want to attract them to your garden, you need to understand if the location suits the needs of the bats. Ask yourself the following questions:
   • Do you have places where bats could sleep and sit? If not, you won't be able to interest these animals.
   • Are there food sources in the garden? Most often, bats look into the gardens, which feed on insects. If you've gotten rid of all the insects with pesticides, bats are unlikely to want to live there.
   • Are there any deterrent factors in the garden? For example, many insect-eating bats search for food using echolocation and passive hearing. If you live in a noisy area, mice will not be able to hunt, so they will find another place for themselves.

Method 2 of 3: Prepare to Build a Bat House

1. 1 Find a suitable location. The house may not be very large, however, when choosing a place for it, it is important to take into account several factors.
   • The house should be located at least 4.5 meters above the ground so that predators cannot get there.
   • The house should be located in a sunny location.
2. 2 Figure out what a bat house should look like. A bat house will be different from the bird houses we are all familiar with. Below we provide a description of the main characteristics of such a structure:
   • Unlike birdhouses, the entrance and exit of the bat dwelling will not be in the front. A long strip should be cut at the bottom of the house. The entrance and back wall should be covered with a net that bats can cling to with their claws.
   • The house does not have to be in the shape of a cube - it has to be a wide, long and flat box. Remember that not one or two bats will live in the house. Most often, bats live in 10-12 individuals. Based on the analysis of the behavior of bats, it was found that the house should be at least 35 centimeters wide, 10 centimeters deep and 50 centimeters high (you also need to add a board 8-12 centimeters long from the back wall and lower it below the entrance, so the bats can cling to it).
   • Several longitudinal air holes should be cut in the lower part of the house. Because bats live in dense groups, the heat from their bodies and carbon dioxide from their breath will quickly fill the room.
3. 3 Decide what materials you need and buy them. You will need a few basic tools:
   • Column (optional). You can attach the house to this post when you're done.
   • Wood, including thick plywood, treated with a water repellent agent.
   • Grid.
   • Self-tapping screws (different sizes).
   • Screwdriver.
   • Saw.
   • Construction stapler.

Method 3 of 3: Build a bat house

1. 1 Saw the wood. The largest piece will become the back wall of the house. Ventilation holes should be cut before assembling the house.
   • The ventilation holes should be no more than 5 millimeters in length. If they are larger, they will let in too much cold air inside. If the holes are too large, small birds will be able to crawl through them and make the house their nest, as a result of which the bats will not be able to live there.
   • The roof should be long and should protrude a few centimeters beyond the edge of the front wall. You can make the roof slopes form a right angle, but if you want the angle to be 30 degrees, the slopes must be longer. You can cut the edges of the boards that make up the roof, as well as the edges of the walls, so that they all fit perfectly together.
2. 2 Attach the net to the largest board. This will be the back of the cabin. Anchor the network securely.
   • You may need to trim the mesh to fit the wall.It should be smaller than the wall so as not to touch the roof and floor. The mesh should cover the entire wall area.
3. 3 Attach the floor to the front wall. The floor should only be attached to the front. It should not touch the back wall when the house is assembled. Leave a few centimeters for the bats to enter the house from below.
4. 4 Fasten the front wall to the side and back with self-tapping screws. Drill the holes with a small drill and screw in the self-tapping screws. Use at least two self-tapping screws on one side.
5. 5 Attach the roof. Drill the holes and secure the roof with self-tapping screws from the front and rear walls. Use at least two self-tapping screws on each side.
6. 6 Paint the house or treat it with impregnation. This will protect the wood from moisture, making it last longer.
7. 7 Secure the house in the place designated for it. You can screw it into the right place or first fix a special mount in this place, which will not only allow you to hold the house, but also move it if necessary. If you decide to move it to a new post, secure it to the post before driving it into the ground.

Tips

• Many species of bats migrate in the fall and hibernate in the winter. If hibernation is disturbed, bats' metabolism accelerates, depleting fat stores and reducing their chances of survival.

Warnings

• Since bats are part of the wild, they can be watched, but not caught or chased. Typically, bats are shy about humans and will not attack or fly in the presence of humans. However, if you handle the bat, it can bite you.