4-Step Installation

Your new bat house comes with all the hardware required for installation.

For tools, you’ll need:

a hammer
a #8 Robertson screw-driver or cordless drill w/#8 Robertson bit
a safe way of getting up to your install location.

There are some things you should consider before installing your bat house.

1. Location

Bats are attracted to warm spaces, so hang your new bat house in a place where it will get as many hours of sun as possible. It should face south for best results. Hang the house as high as you safely can to keep your sleeping bats out of the reach of predators; the higher you can place it, the better.

Examples of good mounting surfaces:

the south side of a building, especially under eaves or gable ends
facing south on a brick chimney
on a pole (this option offers lots of options for placement)
in a tree that has been delimbed around the bat house
on the side of a metal-sided building

2. Timing

Bat houses are more likely to be used during their first summer if the bats arrive in the spring to find them already installed. The sooner you install your bat house, the sooner the bats will find it. If you are planning to evict bats from a building, install the bat house two to six weeks before you move them out.