Bat House Mounting and Care

Due to the variety of mounting applications or locations, we do not include any mounting hardware with our bat house models so that our customers are able to better tailor the mounting type to their needs. 

Selecting a location

A bat house should be mounted a minimum of 10 feet above ground, with 12 to 20 feet being preferred. Choose a sunny location on the East or South facing side of the building. Bat houses work best with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (morning sun is preferable when only partial day sun is available). Avoid placing your bat house near any artificial light source like bright porch, security lights or streetlights. We recommend you avoid placing your bat house above doors or windows where guano will fall or accumulate in an inconvenient location.

How to attract bats to your bat house

While research suggests that bat attractants and lures will not attract bats, there are several factors that will certainly help. One such factor is a suitable location - houses installed on buildings or poles have a much higher occupancy rate than those installed on trees. Planting a bat garden can also help to ensure that bats have the proper environment to thrive. Possibly the biggest attractant for bat occupancy are well-designed and well-constructed bat houses.

When to install

Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, however your chances for occupancy in the first year greatly increase if the house is mounted before bats return from hibernation or migration in the spring.

Flush mount

Bat houses can be flush mounted directly onto a building such as a barn or house by using weather resistant screws that are approximately 1/2" longer than the back of the house. We recommend using 4 screws, one in each corner, screwed through the back board of the house and into the desired structure location. Pilot holes can be drilled but typically are not necessary with cedar. 

Wood, brick, or stone buildings with proper sun exposure are excellent choices, and bat houses mounted under eaves are often successful. This method can also be used to install a bat house to a 4x4 post.

Buildings with metal siding should be avoided. We recommend against mounting on a tree as this provides easy access for predators to disturb the bat house.

Pole mount

An alternate mounting option is to pole mount the bat house by using a metal pole or pipe and pipe clamps. These materials can typically be found in the plumbing section of a local hardware, plumbing, or fencing store (think of the top rail of chain link fence). Two pipe clamps can be mounted around the pole and screwed into the back side of the bat house, one near the top above the bat chamber and one on the landing portion below the bat chamber.

Bat house maintenance 

Bat houses should be inspected and cleaned once a year in the winter. Before performing any maintenance, inspect the bat house interior using a spotlight. If bats are present, wait until later in the season to do routine maintenance. Inspect the house for insect nests and carefully remove using a long, thin rod or stick. Look for broken seams and apply fresh roof repair sealant if needed. Check to make sure the roofing paper and landing screen is intact. Over a period of time and usage, interior baffles may become warped. Bats will continue to use the box, but capacity may be reduced.