Hi Kids, I have a bat house that has yet to be hung. I did some research last year and was surprised by what I found. I don't remember what web sites I used, I'm sure I just googled and read what I found. I will hang my bat house this spring, up as far as I can get it on our single story home, facing south. The bat house I have is about 9" x 16" and should hold lots and lots of bats. Bats can be slow to discover and move into a new shelter but it helps if the location is close to a body a fresh water...the best I can do on that is a bird bath. I think that building your own bat house would be a great project and lots of fun. Here is a National Parks site that gives some good info. http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp I hope to get my house up this spring. Good luck with your project. If you have mosquitoes, bats are good to have. sooey

I Googled "bat trees" out of curiosity, and learned that some endangered Indiana bats spend their summers in specific trees: "The Indiana bat was one of the first species listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the total population of this species (determined by censusing hibernating bats) had declined 28 percent from 1960 to 1975. Indiana bats are associated with the major cavernous limestone (karst) regions of the midwestern and eastern United States. During the winter, they congregate in caves and abandoned mines to hibernate in tightly-packed clusters of up to 300 bats per square foot. The main hibernation sites (hibernacula) for this species are located in southern Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. Indiana bats leave their hibernacula in April and the species is more widely dispersed during the summer. Until recently very little was known about the summer distribution or habitat requirements of Indiana bats. The first maternity colony (reproductively active females and their young) was not located until 1971 when its roost tree (a dead American elm [Ulmus americana]) in Indiana was bulldozed. The discovery of this tree and two trees subsequently used by the colony indicated that Indiana bats roost beneath slabs of loose, peeling bark on dead trees or certain live hickories." When I Googled "bat trees New England", I got a site that said that the most common tree for spring bat roosts in the Lake Champlain region of NY and Vermont was shagbark hickory. Live and learn. Claire Here is a link that might be useful: Bats and Trees

I think I can help you. #1 Dawn describes all the creatures that apear when you have a water source. I know this because we poured a 12x8 cement ornamental pond on our small city lot in Edmond and suddenly the dragonflies and bats appeared. The purple martins need a larger body of water (I know this from living by the Great Lakes). The water attracts bugs and the dragonflies and bats are attracted to the bugs. Also dragonflies lay eggs on the reeds in my pond. Awesome to see so many bright colored species of these neat insects. Back to the bats. I have some plans I bought from a guy on ebay if you'd like to build your own. I don't know if it will work without a water source but if you at least have a fresh bird bath and a large light outside-I'd say its lunchtime and they'll stick around your bathouse. Just a hunch. They also love to fly over my newly plaed pool and will dive bomb to catch the mosquitos. We can lay on our floats in the pool at night and not get a single mosquito bite. (The bats are happy for our compliance also!) Let me know if I can email the bat house plans to you. We have a new printer so it may be a feat for me. The guy I bought the plans from sells premade houses on ebay if you want to search it. It is quite a chore to make the houses and he does compensate himself pretty good. Good luck to ya!

This question is a few posts below yours... Here is a link that might be useful: How many have ben successful with bat houses?