How to DIY a Bat House for Bats?
Bats have always had a bad reputation as potential carriers of rabies, and it seems that everyone avoids them. But in fact, cases of rabies infection from contact with bats are very rare. However, bats are not as evil as people think. They are an important part of the ecosystem and play an irreplaceable role in pest control, pollination, and biodiversity. Unfortunately, their natural habitat is constantly decreasing due to human activities, and their survival is worrying. To protect these beneficial friends, you can DIY bat houses for them and provide them with a safe and comfortable artificial habitat. Next, we will introduce you to two different methods of making bat houses, using nails and screws to assemble and mortise and tenon joints.
Required Materials and Tools
Before you begin, you need to prepare the materials and tools we will need. The materials required for both construction methods are the same, but the tools are slightly different. These tools and materials are easy to obtain.
Wood is the main material we need. You can choose cheap plywood or natural cedar or pine, about ¾ inch thick .
If you are using nails and screws to build your bat house, you will also need a saw and a screwdriver. If you are using mortise and tenon joints to build your bat house, you will need a chisel and a mallet as well as a hand saw.
Determine the Design
The following design options are suitable for bat houses installed around the house:
Basic Single Room Bat House : Single interior space, suitable for a small number of bats to roost, recommended size: 24 inches high * 16 inches wide * 3 inches deep, with a ¾ inch entrance at the bottom to ensure that bats can easily enter and exit.
Multi-chamber bat house : two to four interior compartments, increase bat capacity, size recommendation: 24-36 inches high*16-20 inches wide*4-6 inches deep, this design of bat house has multiple rooms to help keep warm, suitable for different species of bats.
Building a Bat House Using Nails and Screws
This method is very suitable for beginners. Compared with the mortise and tenon structure, it does not require carpentry basics and the method is very simple.
Cutting Plates
Cut the back, front, side, and roof panels to size for your bat house design. No need to sand them; leave them natural, as bats may prefer. Install a grid on the back panel or create shallow horizontal grooves to help bats grip. Drill small ventilation holes near the top and drainage holes at the bottom.
Assembly
Then use screws or nails to secure the side panels to the back panel . If you are building a multi-chamber bat house, you will also need to insert the interior partitions at even intervals. Secure the front panel, making sure there is a ¾-inch gap at the bottom as an entrance. Finally, secure the roof with screws. Some people may recommend applying a waterproof sealant, but I don't think so. Usually this compound has a pungent smell, which bats don't like. They are very sensitive to odors. And even if a waterproof sealant is applied, with the natural erosion of time and wind and rain, these coatings will disappear and lose their effectiveness. It is better not to apply it in the first place and keep a natural feel.
Paint
To make the bat house provide a longer-lasting shelter for bats, you'd better paint it with a layer of anti-corrosion paint. And you should choose a dark color (dark color helps to retain heat) and non-toxic paint. Paint may have an odor, so you need to place it outdoors to let it age naturally for a period of time to dissipate the odor, which can increase the chances of attracting bats.
Building a Traditional Mortise and Tenon Structure Bat House
If you have some basic knowledge of woodworking, you can consider using mortise and tenon joints to make a bat house. Such a bat house will not use unnatural materials such as nails and paint, and will not emit any odor other than wood. This can maximize the imitation of the bat's habitat and attract bats to move in.
Cutting wood
The mortise and tenon structure has higher requirements for materials, and you should choose cedar or pine. This is not only for ease of processing, but also because plywood is prone to cracking. As before, use a hand saw to cut the wood into the required shape and size according to your design.
Creating mortise and tenon joints
Mortising (grooving): Use a chisel and mallet to mark and carve the mortise grooves into the side panels. These grooves should match the thickness of the tenon.
Tenon (Tab Cutting): Use a saw to cut matching tenon joints on the edges of the front, back and partition boards. You can pre-install and test whether the tenon joints and mortise grooves fit tightly. If not, fine cutting and grinding are required.
Assembling the bat house
Soak the wooden board accessories you prepared in water for about 1 minute before assembly to allow the wood to absorb some moisture. The tenon will swell slightly after being soaked in water. After being inserted into the mortise, as the water evaporates, the tenon will return to a dry state and firmly clamp, forming a more stable combination. This is especially useful for some loose mortise and tenon connections (for example, the tenon is slightly smaller due to measurement errors).
A properly moistened wood surface will reduce the friction of sawdust, making it easier to insert the tenon into the mortise, especially for tight mortise and tenon joints. And if the wood is too dry, forcing the tenon in during installation may cause the wood to crack. Properly moistening the wood can make it slightly more flexible and reduce the risk of damage.
Next, you can use a mallet to assemble all the wooden parts according to the design, clamp the assembled structure and leave it to dry overnight. In this way, your DIY bat house is almost complete.
Carbonization anti-corrosion
Untreated wood is very easy to rot after being eroded by wind and rain. If you want your bat house to have a longer life, it must be treated with some anti-corrosion treatment, the simplest of which is carbonization anti-corrosion.
Prepare a gas blowtorch, or if you don't have one, use a charcoal stove or any open flame. Sweep the flame evenly across the wood surface of the bat house until it turns black. Pay attention to how long I burn it to avoid over-burning. Observe that the surface of the wood turns dark brown, and deeply carbonized wood will turn black, which means it is over-burned. Then use a brush to gently brush off the loose carbonized layer, and wipe the surface with a damp cloth to make the surface smoother or the texture prominent. Finally, apply a layer of linseed oil or tung oil to further enhance waterproofing and durability. In this way, a bat house built entirely in a natural way is completed, and you can start looking for a suitable location to install it and wait for the bats to move in.
Final Thoughts
Building a bat house is an easy and rewarding project that is good for the environment and good for your home. Whether you choose the nail and screw method or the mortise and tenon method, you can provide a safe roost for bats while reducing pests such as mosquitoes.
By installing a bat house, you can contribute to bat conservation and promote biodiversity in your area. So why not give it a try? Your nocturnal insectivorous friends will thank you! If you're afraid of the hassle, you might also consider purchasing some quality bat houses, we offer a variety of rationally designed and ethically produced bat houses.