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Materials Needed:
- One 12' piece of 1"x8" untreated, rough-sided cedar (actual measurements will be slightly smaller).
- One 11" piece of 1"x10" untreated rough-sided cedar (this will be the top of the bat box).
- Approximately 20 six-penny galvanized nails.
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Tools Needed:
- Skil saw with crosscut blade
- Hammer
- Ruler
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
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Construction Recommendations:
- Read instruction completely before beginning.
- Do not paint the sides or interior because the odor might repel bats.
- Bats need rough surfaces to secure a foothold. Therefore, be sure that all surfaces, especially those on the interior, are rough. If you can't obtain rough-sawn cedar, you can roughen it manually.
- Some types of lumber split easily. Avoid splits by pre-drilling small holes before pounding nails.
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Assembly Directions:
Step 1. Cut the 12' piece of cedar into six pieces of the following sizes:
a) 3 pieces 22" long (these will be the two sides and the back).
b) 1 piece 17-1/4" long (this will be the front).
c) 2 pieces 13" long (these will be two of the three partitions).
d) 1 piece 11" long (this will be the other partition).
Step 2. Take two of the 22" pieces and measure 17-1/4" on one side of each piece. Make a pencil mark at this point.
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Step 3. Draw a diagonal line from the mark to the closest corner on the other side of the board.
Step 4. Repeat Step 3 on the second piece.
Step 5. Using a Skil saw, cut along the diagonal lines. Put these pieces aside for the moment (they will be the sides).
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Step 6. Adjust your Skil saw to a 33-degree angle. Take the third 22" board (the one you didn't mark a diagonal line on) and angle off one of the ends (this piece will be the back of the box). Repeat the same for the front piece, top piece and the two partitions.
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Step 7. Take the two side pieces from Step 5, and using a ruler and pencil, mark both pieces according to the measurements shown in the Step 7 illustration. Mark both sides of both boards.
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Step 8. You're ready to start building. Take the two sides, the 22" back and the 17-1/4" front and nail them together as shown in illustration step 8, angled ends up. Note that the side pieces fit over the ends of the front and back pieces.
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Step 9. Now, insert the partitions. Lay the partially completed house on its side. Take the 13" internal partition and slide it into the box, centering it along the set of pencil lines closest to the back of the box. Position the partition so that it is flush with the tops of the sides.
See illustration for Step 9.
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Step 10. Secure the partition in place with nails from the outside. Use the outside lines as a guide for placement.
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Step 11. Follow the same procedure for securing both of the shorter partitions along the other two sets of lines near the front of the box.
Step 12. Place the ten inch 1"x10" board on top so that the back edge of the board is flush with the back of the box and creates an overhang in the front and on the sides. Hold firmly and nail the tip to the main frame. The completed house should look like the drawings shown.
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Bat House Design & Instructions courtesy of Bat Conservation International.
To learn more about your bat house, click here.
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