BAT HOUSE MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS

Bats like to stay warm and dry in their bat houses. Here in the Northeast we need to take advantage of solar heating. Bat houses should be painted dark brown or black. They can be erected on a pole or on the side of a building. They should be at least 15 feet high or higher and facing south or southeast. This will allow the bat house to receive the most amount of sun during the day and help keep it warm inside.

Decide on your mounting location after careful observation of the site for the most sunlight. Remember that bats like the highest available places, especially near potential feeding areas over lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, swamps and other mixed-use area orchards and agricultural fields.

If you are mounting your bat house to a tree, be sure to find tall trees out in the open or at the forest edges where a position with the correct sun exposure can be attained.

If wasps become a problem in your bat house, you can remove them with a high-pressure blast of water. Do not use any pesticides that may absorb into the wood. This could possibly harm bats later when they move in.

Do not be discouraged if bats do not inhibit your bat house the first year. Sometimes it takes several years for bats to find it, or you may have to try another location. GOOD LUCK!!!!