Building a bat box – for bat conservation

A wooden bat box on a tree — With a DIY bat box you can do a lot for bat conservation.

Difficulty

easy
Cost

15 £
Duration

a few hours

Introduction

Bats are fascinating creatures. With more than 1,400 species, bats form the second largest group of mammals after rodents. Around 25 species live in Germany alone.

For now, sadly. Four of the 25 species are acutely threatened with extinction due to the ongoing decline in insect populations and the destruction of their natural habitats. But at least you can change something about the second point and build a bat box for these animals in your neighbourhood.

Bats are nocturnal. During the day they sleep in crevices, tree hollows or attics, unused shacks or castle ruins. Some species live in groups, others are solitary. At our latitudes they also hibernate, and some even migrate south during the winter months.

Build a nesting box for bats and help to protect these ancient creatures. You will be enhancing your garden with new inhabitants and doing your bit for biodiversity!

As a nature and animal lover, perhaps you’d like to add a DIY bird feeder to your bat box? Or how about trying your hand at a starling boxor i nsect hotel? If you can give chickens a home, you will certainly have room for other animals too and can build a rabbit hutch. And there are also lots of creative DIY ideas for animals indoors.

Of course, you can also do a lot to create an attractive habitat in your garden that insects, birds, hedgehogs etc. will be happy to inhabit – the more species-rich the flora, the more at home the fauna feels . You will also find ideas on how to create a garden or make a garden pond.

You need

Tools

Utilities

screws

Materials

File
Larch wood
Roofing felt

L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Planning

To be able to build the right bat box, it’s important to distinguish between bats that live in the forest and those that live in buildings: Bat boxes for forest bats should simulate shelter in abandoned woodpecker holes or in the crevices among peeling bark, either as round or deep boxes.

Most boxes for bats that live in buildings are flat (see step-by-step instructions). But large-capacity boxes are also a possibility: For example, you can build a really large bat box for building-dwelling bats.

Here’s a list of the most important requirements for a bat box:

Always use untreated natural wood, as bats are very sensitive to chemicals.
Especially the back wall of your bat box and the entrance area must be roughened so that the animals can grip on properly.
Box boxes should be installed at a height of at least five metres so that the bats are safe from cats, martens and similar predators.
Hang the box so that no direct light falls on it. Bats avoid light.

Knowing the time of year you should hang your boxes or which direction the entrance should face is a bit complex. This depends, among other things, on whether you’re planning a winter, nursery, summer or mating roost.
How should the bat shelter be maintained and when? You should only check boxes that are open at the bottom and repair them if necessary when the inhabitants have left during the winter months, i.e. between November and February.

Note on colonisation

Bats inhabit bat boxes much less frequently than birds inhabit their nest boxes. But you can try to attract them – for example, by spreading bat droppings. Nevertheless, you need to have a little patience.

Let’s get started – step-by-step instructions

With these simple instructions for building a bat roost you can make a flat box in the size you want. Example dimensions are provided in the sketch, which you can adapt accordingly. Materials and tools ready? Then let’s get going!

Step 1 5

Cutting the individual parts to size

Schematic representation of the individual parts for building a bat box — These parts are used to build the bat box, which you can see on the left of the sketch in the three-quarter profile.

Transfer the measurements of your bat box to the wooden panels and saw out the parts accordingly. You will need the following parts:

Step 2 5

Roughening the insides

For the bats to be able to grip on when hanging, you need to roughen the rear of the box well, either with a file, a fine router or a multi-function tool.

Step 3 5

Bevelling

Bevel the top edges of the front panel, rear wall and entrance bar. This ensures that the roof of the bat box sits flush with the front panel and rear wall. By the way: Larger roof overhangs provide better protection from the rain for the untreated wood. It’s also worth bevelling the entrance bar, as this makes it easier for bat droppings to fall out of the box.

Step 4 5

Assembling the individual parts

First pre-drill the holes using a cordless drill/driver, for example, and then join the individual parts together using countersunk screws. Our video tutorials on drills and screwdrivers will help you choose the right tool if you are unsure.

Step 5 5

Sealing

First, attach the roofing felt to the roof using a staple gun. When everything is ready, check your bat box for cracks. These animals do not like draughts at all. If necessary, you can seal any gaps using a natural material such as sisal. But also look for a place that is sheltered from the wind to put up your bat box.

Done! By the way: If you want to get kids interested in nature and conservation, you can start by building a bat box. Such a simple project is an excellent way to actively involve children and inspire them to become involved in conservation.

Also good to know

Can I install a webcam?

The short answer is yes, provided the camera only records the bat box and its inhabitants. Public areas (street, parking spaces) or the neighbouring house must be out of the camera’s range, however.