Bat House Plans: How to Build a Bat House

Well, for starters, one might wonder why anybody should build bat houses in the first place! Bats are definitely not those cute and cuddly creatures one would love to have around. In fact, bats are often looked at as evil creatures and usually play a very important role in horror flicks as well! Contrary to what most people think, bats or rather no animal or creature is actually evil in nature. It is probably the way people perceive things that lead to the glorification of such stories.

Bats love to hang out in caves and prefer to enjoy their environment in a peaceful way. These appear for food only at night and go back for rest in the caves or in hollows of trees. Some of them are even known to spend their time in trees, under bridges and even in old buildings. Well, one may wonder why one should actually think about having any bat house plans! This is primarily because with the disappearance of forests thanks to human activity, there are hardly any trees or forests left to reside. With man invading the territories occupied by animals, this a problem faced not only by bats but also by other species as well. Having bat houses can also be a boon to us especially if you are living in an area that is close to a wooded area or those locations that are infested with mosquitoes. This is solely because bats love mosquitoes and gnats on their menu card and a single bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in a single night! Talk about having a voracious appetite, bats certainly do take the cake!

Bat House Plans: How to Build a Bat House
Bats need a warm and cozy place for the young and prefer to live in enclosed areas. When making any bat house plans, one would need to remember that bats love tight and narrow spaces and an apt idea would be to plan bat houses that resemble a bark or a tree trunk. The sides of the bat houses need to be caulked to preserve the heat within.

What you will need:

• Plywood sheets (1/2-inch)
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Furring strip
• Screwdriver
• Circular saw
• Caulk and caulking gun
• Stain-exterior-grade
• Deck or exterior-grade screws (1 1/4-inch)

First, you need to cut three pieces of the ½ inch plywood. Use the following dimensions- 26 ½ by 24 inches, 16 ½ by 24 inches and 5 by 24 inches. Draw lines with the help of the pencil around ½ inch apart from the entire length of the back piece (this is the 26 ½ by 24 inch piece). Use the circular saw and cut along the lines. Saw this wood to a depth of about 1/16-inch. Apply a dark stain on the interiors of the plywood.

Cut the furring strips into the following measurements- 1 piece that is 24 inches in length and two pieces that are 20 ½ inches in length. Next, attach two shorter furring strips to the short side. Attach the 24-inch strip to the long side of the back piece.

Next, attach the 16 ½ inch by 24 inch plywood to the furring strip. You will need to leave at least a ½ inch gap to provide ventilation. Attach the 5-inch by 24-inch piece, which should be below the top piece. This will give you an 11 ½ inch part which is the exposed back piece area. This will act as the climbing point for the bats. The bats can use it to land and enter the chamber.

Once you are through with all this, you will need to caulk the joints and seal the bat house. You will also need to attach a 1inch by 3-inch board for the roof area. Paint the exteriors and mount this on the roof of a shed.

Bat house plans can incorporate more area to fit larger colonies of the same. Use larger sizes of wood instead of the ones mentioned above. Bats are known to look for new homes during the late spring season. Therefore, ensure your bat houses are ready by late winter or as the season changes.