I finally bought Dr. Tuttles, bat house handbook. My old bat house had 1-1/4 inch internal chambers. I did attract 2-bats last summer, i saw there silioutes when i got to close with my farm tractor while mowing. they never came back. My new house has five chambers, 3/4-inch apart from each other, and are 2-houses mounted back to back, with a metal roof. The metal roof is painted steel, leftover from my farm house roof. I got a oil field metal pole, 32-feet. The house when erected will be about 38-feet from the ground. The pole will be put into a metal pivioting sleave, attached to a 1/2-inch thick steel, 8-inch wide "H" beam. The bottom 4-foot of beam is anchored in ground with concrete. The pivioting sleave will allow the house to be lowered to the ground for maintenance, using a cable attached to the pickup truck. When it about 10-feet off ground, i will move my tractor with front end loader raised to catch pole, and finish lowering house to ground. This will alieviate a lot of stress on cable, and buried H-beam. I had a great time putting this together. If it doesn't attract bats, it will be a great conversation piece. I will keep you informed.
