Get Bat House Tips - Arkansas Game And Fish Commission

To attract bats effectively, a bat box should measure at least 24 inches tall and 14 inches wide, providing ample space for roosting. Ensure the box has a rough interior surface for easy climbing, along with a waterproof roof for protection against rain. According to BAT HOUSE TIPS - Arkansas Game And Fish Commission, placing the box at least 10-15 feet above the ground and in a sunny location will enhance its appeal to bats. Additionally, avoid placing the box near bright lights or heavy human activity to create a welcoming environment.

Try planting flowers like datura, moonflower, four-o'clock, yucca, evening primrose, night-blooming water lily, night-blooming jessamine, cleome, or nicotiana. Growing plants native to your area might also attract bats since they are most likely to be what the bats already look for.

5 Tips To Help Attract Bats To Your Backyard Grow native plants. A flowering backyard garden that's full of native plants is so much more than just a lovely sight. ... Avoid pesticides. There's no way around it – studies show that pesticides are harmful to bats. ... Provide a water source. ... Hang a bat house. ... Interact safely.

The house should be at least 2 feet tall with one to four roosting chambers. Each chamber should measure at least 20 inches in height. The house should be sealed to prevent water from entering. Place the house at least 10 feet above the ground; 12 to 20 feet is ideal.

You should avoid placing the bat house in heavily trafficked areas such as above the front entrance of your home. Noise will not generally bother the bats, however, bats may leave a small amount of bat guano (bat droppings) near the bat house. This isn't harmful, but you probably wont want to keep stepping it.

And while this isn't the case for all bat houses, it is for many of them. So, do bat houses work? The success rate of bat houses is roughly 35% give or take.

Bat houses can be mounted on wooden posts, steel poles, pivot poles, or on the sides of buildings, but should not be mounted on trees for three reasons: They receive less sun among the branches. Bat tenants are more vulnerable to predators sitting in trees.

Boxes should be put as high as possible to try and avoid predation from cats on the ground or nearby structures. On buildings, boxes should be placed as close to the eaves as possible. Bats use dark tree lines or hedgerows for navigation, so putting boxes near these features could help bats find the box.

Choose a sunny location on the East or South facing side of your house. Bat houses work best with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (if only partial day sun is available- morning sun is preferable). Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights, so installing near porch or security lights is generally a bad idea.