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Thorreain
1908 posts
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Bat houses
I took a morning and a couple of lads to use up some plywood and make 6 of these bat houses. I did not have any plans to go by just what sized plywood leftovers that were laying around in the corner. They are about 18" tall, 10" wide, and 3" thick. Made mostly from 1/2" birch plywood, waterproof gorilla glue, 1-1/4" brad nails, and a couple pieces of strapping about 6" long. The chambers on the inside have grooves cut about 1/4" apart and less than 1/4" deep. The grooves fill both the inside chambers to the top. The local bat population is primarily the little brown bat, that eat twice their weight per day I’m told in insects. I was asked to make a pair for a PTSD equine therapy ranch for Vets. Rather than just make 2, I built 6, prob put one up at each of our campers, mine, grampa Jim, daughters, and sons, we all have campers within eyesight of each other. Thanks for looking, if you have any questions, fire away.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
20 Comments
Here is one of the back.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
Simple and sweet, nice work.
Jamesw
Nice! Hope y’all get tenants. We’ve had one up a couple of years and it’s still vacant.
Keep up the great work!
Keith "Shin" Schindler
Good idea ,fighting back against all of those blood sucking bugs out there.Good job.
woodworking classes, custom furniture maker
Well done Chris. Bats sure help keep the insect population under control. I hope you will let us know how these houses are working out later.
Mike, an American living in Norway
good job
jim
great idea. Hey! I made a cat house and you made a bat house. We’re like woodworking Dr. Suesses. We just need somebody to make a fox box and a goat boat
-- Alec (Friends call me Wolf, no idea why)
Lol, yes the Dr sueses Magic lives!
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
These are a great idea. How low can you hang them? I’d love to make one but I don’t have anywhere up high to hang one except the house and I know the wife would never allow that. I’m not even sure there are bats around here.
Losing fingers since 1969
I just googled it. Yes, there are bats in Long Island despite all the development. Hang 12’-15’ off the ground facing south. Underneath the house must be unobstructed to give them room to drop and swoop out. So there you go. :-) I still don’t have a suitable place to hang one.
Losing fingers since 1969
Keep looking around Brian, they are a great idea to help with the bugs. I saved one to put up on the south end of my house right under the to of the eave.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
the skeeters and deer fly are bad this year . I’m surprised after the winter we had in Ohio .
Wheaties
nice work T
Looking good! War is on !!! Mostly, a dead sweeter is a good skeeter!
Steve Tow
I have never understood how these thing work. I have always wanted to make, but can not figure it out. I love the idea.
Madts.
Tor and Odin are the greatest of gods.
Madts- it’s basically a box, on the inside their are grooves parallel to the ground that they can use to hold on to. The bottom is open so they can enter and exit. The top is closed and sealed so it is dark. The size of the box depends on the size of the local species of bat. The bats fly up to the bottom, then use the grooves to crawl up the inside to the top where they sleep. When they want to leave they just crawl down then let go and drop. It’s a good idea to use a building that is tall to attach it so predators can’t access it.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
One of the houses has about 8 bats already. I’m trying to get pics but you can only see them at dusk when they drop out, I’ll keep trying tho and post them.
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
My wife put the kibosh on this project. She prefers mosquito’s over bats. :-)
Losing fingers since 1969
Brian, you can always use that mosquito app….
CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!
These are cool,
We have bats that come down from the mountain at dusk,
but I don't know if they would take up residency?
Might look further into it, I like bats, even though they look like mean wild dogs close up...
We have bats that come down from the mountain at dusk,
but I don't know if they would take up residency?
Might look further into it, I like bats, even though they look like mean wild dogs close up...
Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.
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