Building bat boxes as a group project
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- Small boxes do not work No mesh or netting of any kind; roughen the wood instead Bat Boxes mounted on live trees WILL NOT WORK
- Leslie Sturges
| Building bat boxes as a group project
Bat habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate in the eastern United States. Despite disappointing early results, bat boxes are proving to be reliable alternate habitat for bats if they are built and installed correctly. The first step is to decide where bat boxes are likely to be used and where they can be safely installed. Local parks will often host a bat box installation and Bat World NOVA is always willing to help select an appropriate site. The following rules will help you determine if your site might be appropriate for bat boxes: At least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily, starting with morning light Ten to 15 feet off the ground Exterior painted or stained a medium brown Absolutely no gaps at the seams—caulk, caulk, caulk Box is at least 18” (preferably 24”) tall and has at least three 3/4-inch chambers, with the exception of rocket-boxes (see below) Properly vented No obstacles under the box, i.e., shrubs, grills, AC compressors, etc. Nothing below that will reflect light into the box; no aluminum flashing, gutters, etc. Small boxes do not work No mesh or netting of any kind; roughen the wood instead Bat Boxes mounted on live trees WILL NOT WORK T  here are two types of bat boxes that have proven to be successful in the mid-Atlantic area—the rocket box and multiple-chamber maternity boxes. Both styles allow bats to move from chamber to chamber or from side to side and to move up and down within the box. It is very important that the bats be able to move upward for maximum warmth and shift toward the bottom to cool down. Also, bats look for habitat that has enough thermal mass to maintain fairly stable temperatures. Bigger maternity boxes are better as are rocket boxes with central mass.
It is not necessary to build large installations. In fact, it may be better to install a single box at your chosen location, and if bats start to use it, install more. If bats don’t come (and it may take several years) a single box is easier to move than 3 or even 5! Remember, that monitoring and maintenance are part of any bat box project. It does wildlife no good to provide habitat that then falls apart or is no longer useful after only a season or two. Attention to detail and effort put in during the building process will cut way down on maintenance. Bat boxes need to be checked in late winter or early spring for separating seams, woodpecker holes, leaks, and wasp nests. Boxes need to be checked throughout the spring for bats. The easiest way to tell if a box is occupied is to look for guano! The following are some resources for plans and information on building bat boxes: The Bat House Builder’s Handbook, Bat Conservation International Woodcrafting for Wildlife, Third Edition, Published by: Wild Resource Conservation Fund, 1997 Bats Northwest Rocket Box; www.batsnorthwest.org/RocketBox.html 3- and 5-chamber maternity boxes; Double-hulled Rocket Box, Maryland Department of Natural Resources; www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/battwocham.html Here are resources for kits and assembled boxes: Bat Conservation and Management, www.batconservationmanagement.com Bat Conservation International; www.batcon.org Please call Bat World NOVA or visit www.batworld.org for more information. 
Leslie Sturges 703-973-3157 Director lsturges@verizon.net www.batworld.org Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2011 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 2011 -> All America Looks Up to Virginia;” Virginia and the Declaration of Independence 2011 -> Rao bulletin 2011 -> Christopher Columbus was born between 25 August and 31 October 1451 in 2011 -> The Battle of Frenchtown (1855), Washington Territory: the Political and Demographic Context rev 9/4/11 2011 -> Seti aff •seti neg •Asteroids Aff Download 304.25 Kb. Share with your friends:
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