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BatMan
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Posted: Wed Jul 28th, 2004 11:44 pm |
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Hello everyone, new to this forum and it looks great !!!
Please forgive me if this has been discussed. I did a search and got about 25 hits and to tell you the truth I just don't have enough time to read them all right now.
Back in Feb 04' I built and installed one of Scott's 5 chamber colony houses and have had a couple bats fly close to it but no real interest. So I decided to build another one to install on the back of the other one with a 3/4" space between them. I also think when I take the other one down I'm going to move them both over to a more open area and in/under the flight path they seem to use. So I have the new bat house built and ready to go up but I can't find any info on how the bats get from one house to the other. What I mean is do I need to cut slits in the back of each one so the bats don't have to crawl under the back of the house to get to the other one ? I hope I'm explaining this well enough for you to understand, if not let me know.
Thanks
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Thu Jul 29th, 2004 01:53 am |
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Yes I do know what you mean and yes slots/slits about 3/4" might be helpful, make em at least 3-4 inches long. You can use a jig saw to do it. Also I'm assuming the two bat houses are attached at the sides? Are you using a dual post/pole? Welcome to the BHF! 
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BatMan
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Posted: Thu Jul 29th, 2004 02:14 am |
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Thanks for the welcome.
So would you suggest making the 3/4" slots the whole length of the back ? Or just one slot 3/4" x 3/4" ? How far up from the bottom of the landing pad do I make the slots ? Or how far up from the bottom of the entrance ? Also I live in St.Augustine,Fl. and have the one house that is currently up, painted a medium brown, do you think I need vents or a lighter color or should I try to take a temp reading of the inside chambers before doing any modifications ? Here's a link so you can see the exact specs of the house/houses -http://users.ms11.net/~habitat/bat/bighouse2.htm
I'm thinking when I put the 2 houses together 3/4" apart and put them on the 4x4's or 4x6's (which would be better?) the posts will pretty much cover the gap. I hope!!! :wink:
Edit: Sorry you either edited your post or I'm seeing things or should I say not seeing things. I see where you said they should be 3-4 " long besides that I have 3/4'' spacers inside each chamber so I don't think I want to cut a slot the entire length. I'll just do one slot on each side.
Yeah the house I have up now is attached on the side of it with 10' metal poles which go down into 4x4's which go down into the ground. But once I take it down I want to use just the 4x4's or 4x6's. I think the longest 4 x's I can get are 16' so I'll go in the ground 2' and use 2x4's to secure the posts to a brick wall fence for added stability.
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Thu Jul 29th, 2004 03:33 am |
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How far is your proposed bat house(s) from the nearest year-round water? Have you seen bats foraging in the evening? Yes painting them different shades helps give bats temp. options. Also Scott's plans are pretty much a standard style nursery house however, there is one modification you might want to consider: stagger the partitions by 1.5 inches in height or so. This helps discourage Paper Wasps from attaching nest at bottom of a partition since a wasp nest would hit the next partition. Tho not seen easily, I staggered these partitions below in my bat house and did not get any Wasps tho nothing is for sure. I have gotten wasps in bat houses in which the lowest part of each partitions were at equal lengths.
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BatMan
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Posted: Thu Jul 29th, 2004 09:45 pm |
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Well there's a lake a little less than a 1/4 mile away and I also have a koi pond in my backyard. I have seen a couple (2) bats flying around, above the pine trees in the woods behind my house and every once in awhile they fly over the backyard. When they do fly over my backyard they seem to use the same flight pattern, that's why I think I'm going to place the two back to back houses under the flight pattern they seem to use.
How far up from the bottom of the landing pad do I make the slots ? Or how far up from the bottom of the entrance ?
What size posts would you recommend ? 4x4's or 4x6's to hold these two houses up back to back.
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Fri Jul 30th, 2004 01:34 pm |
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| 4x4 posts should suffice and make pathway slots 1/3 to 1/2 up from bottom of bat house opening/entry. Good luck and when your done and if u have a digital camera would you consider posting a picture of houses after erection? Upload photos here if u wish: http://www.batnic.org/bat-house-photos/
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BatMan
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Posted: Fri Jul 30th, 2004 08:15 pm |
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| Thanks for the info. Yeah I do have a digital camera and would be happy to post a pic after their up.
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BatMan
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Posted: Thu Aug 5th, 2004 01:40 am |
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Well I'm just about ready to put up the houses. I have changed the color of them to a forest green because my wife was worried that the medium/light brown I used on the original, would be an eyesore, with the houses now being placed in the middle of the backyard. I'm also going with the pivot design using 4x4's . The end result should make these houses 15 ft. from the bottom of the landing pad to the ground.
If all goes as planned I should be able to post some pics tomorrow or Friday! Joe, what size (pixels) do these pics need to be to upload ?
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Thu Aug 5th, 2004 01:19 pm |
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| Fantastic looking forward to photos, just be sure to post them in the "Bat House Photo and Links" Section on the Main page. Re pixel size, I have no restriction on size but please just makem large enough for viewing but small enough so ya don't have to scroll the page horizontally with browser to view photos in entirety. If your new to computers and forum software, I would be glad to help you postem otherwise can't wait to see them! Thanks :thumbup:
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BatMan
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Posted: Sun Aug 22nd, 2004 02:38 pm |
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| If or when bats do decide to use the houses, will it bother them if I mow and weed eat under them ?
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Mon Aug 23rd, 2004 09:09 pm |
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I found my bats to be tolerant of mowing as long as you don't bump the post or pole with the mower. I would hope a weed wacker with string or equivalent shouldn't pose too much of a problem if used quickly. 
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Posted: Tue Aug 24th, 2004 01:51 am |
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| OK thanks Joe. I think what I'll do is make a flower bed around it. That'll keep the chances of hittin' it down to a minimum.
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Tue Aug 24th, 2004 05:58 pm |
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| That is a great idea! Guano would be good for flowers but when and if you get a sizable colony too much urine would be too acidic for plants. Long way to go before you would be at that point. Bats first monitoring secondly. Have you determined the popular species locally? and if any have been noticed roosting in homes nearby in shutters or attics etc? cheers Joe :tanbigeye:
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BatMan
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Posted: Tue Aug 24th, 2004 09:49 pm |
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No, I'm not sure what kinds we have around here. I have noticed a couple different sized bats, really small-maybe little brown and a bigger one-maybe big brown. But I'm just guessing
I have also noticed that one or maybe more have been flying pretty close to the houses. I guess they're starting to take an interest ? I sure hope so! I'm about to go out right now and cut the tree down that's to the left of the houses (You can see it in the pic) it's alittle to close (10FT away). I'll keep ya posted.
Thanks,
Mike
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Joe Spencer
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Posted: Wed Aug 25th, 2004 01:54 pm |
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| Ya removing a tree that close may help a little. It gives birds of prey a perch and an advantage on which to pounce. Have you seen any Hawks or owls in the area? After all these efforts I sure hope you are rewarded with occupancy sometime. If not everything you do helps us understand bats' needs better. Nice work Mike! :thumbup:
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