Cut
plywood into two pieces: 26 1/2" x 24" and
21 1/2" x 24"
Cut
furring strip into one 24" and two 20 1/4"
pieces
Cut
cedar board into one 17" and two 30" pieces
Screw
back to furring. Start with the 24" piece on
top
Roughen
all sides of plywood, including the back but not the
front exterior, with a claw hammer or other tool.
Remove any slintered wood
Screw
front to furring, top piece first
Attach
cedar mounting boards to back with screws entering
through plywood and furring
Paint
with dark exterior latex paint at least twice. If
necessary, roughen landing area below front sheet
again.
Caulk
all seems that aren't tight with paintable silicone
caulk
Large
Economy Bat House
Materials (makes one)
1/2
sheet (2' x 8') of 1/2" exterior plywood
1
- 1 x 2 x 8' fir board (furring strip)
1
- 1 x 4 x 8' cedar board (mounting board)
40
- 1 1/4" outdoor wood screws
1
pint of latex paint
Construction
Procedure
Cut
plywood into two pieces: 51" x 24" and 45"
x 24"
Cut
furring strip into one 17" and two 43 3/4"
pieces
Cut
cedar board into one 24" and two 58" pieces
Follow steps 4-9 for the Small Economy Bat House
Optional
Modifications to Economy Bat Houses
In
hot climates, drill 8 to 10, 1/2" holes in the
front of the box approximately 5" up from the
bottom. Vent holes may not be necessary in cooler
climates.
Attach
a 1 x 4 board to the top as a roof (recommended).
Attach
a 1 x 4 board in back of the box at the top in between
the two furring strips to create a chamber.
Two
bat boxes can be placed back-to-back and mounted on
a pole. Build two houses the same size. Drill 4 -
3/4" holes on the back of each to permit movement
of bats between the houses. The holes should be about
10" from the bottom edge of the back piece.