Dale Sutton
How to make a bat box
Build a home for bats
Tom Marshall
There are estimated to be more than 15 million gardens in the UK, covering an area greater than all of the UK’s nature reserves combined!
So our gardens and public green spaces are vitally important habitats for wildlife, including bats.
By taking small steps to make them more wildlife friendly we can make a big difference.
A bat box is a good substitute for a tree hole, popular amongst bats.
What you will need:
- Untreated rough sawn timber
- Hammer
- Nails
- Tape measure and pencil
How to build your bat box
- See our diagram below on how to put together your bat box
- Make it out of rough board (maybe pine) which has not been treated or painted.
- Hang it on the side of a tree (or building), 3 to 5 metres above ground.
If it faces South or East, it may attract the summer roosting bats (boxes that face. North and West seem to attract winter roosters).
- A ‘bat ladder’ or other landing area leads to an entry slit wide enough to admit bats, but narrow enough to keep out predators, usually 15 – 20 mm.
- Make sure joints are well sealed and avoid large, loose-fitting front panels – bats hate draughts
- Removable lids should not be used and the box should not be opened
But be patient.
Bats may may take a year or more to make use of the box.
Please remember
Once up, a bat box cannot be opened legally without a licence.
For more information on bats and the law call the Bat Helpline (0345 1300 228).
