Q&A for How to Hang a Bat House

Nope! If you have it up in April, the bats still have time to use it in the summer or the following year. The earlier you get it up, the better. It can take 2 - 3 years for bats to come in some situations.

If the guano is accumulating, you could either start a compost or put it in a garbage can/bag outside so it doesn't make the house smelly. Bats eat moths, mosquitoes, and other insects. Some bats eat nectar or ripe fruit. The bats will find the foods themselves - no need to feed them!

You can still hang the bat house in October. Although spring may be preferable, if the bats are around and see it in autumn, they may be more willing to come in the summer. You don't need to put feed in them; bats catch their food, which consists of insects.

If you are trying to attract bats to your bat house for the first time, it is better to have them closer than further apart. If you have bats in one already, having another one closer will make it more inviting. You can have them right beside each other or a few feet away if you want them close.

Bats are nocturnal and accustomed to low-lighted places, so they will be more inclined to visit a bat house that is located away from bright lights.

No, research shows this is unhelpful. It is also unsafe for humans to handle guano, as it can transmit histoplasmosis.

Your neighbors can move the box if the bats are not roosting. You can talk to your neighbors about it, but if it's on their property and they don't want to move it, they don't have to.

It depends on the conditions. If the bat house is more suited to the bats than their current location, they will move, if not, they'll likely stay put.

Probably not willingly as they have settled in.

Put some food in the house. The type of food depends on what type of bat you are trying to attract.

Forest and stone-based colors may look most natural. Black or dark colours are best since dark colours will heat up the bat house more during the day in the sun. Bats love dark, warm places to sleep during the day.

Most bat boxes are open at the bottom, so there is no opportunity for guano (bat poop) to build up inside the house itself. Most of the mess falls right out. You will likely have to clean the area under the house though, so keep that in mind when placing the box.

Mount it whenever you feel like mounting it. There is no preferred time for bat house hanging, but some cheeky birds will nest in there if you decide to mount it when bats aren't around.

Yes, but it is a better idea to have them spaced further apart.

Bats eat mosquitoes, so by spraying the house you are depriving them of a potential food source. Also, bug sprays tend to be toxic and emit a strong chemical smell that bats may find unpleasant.

It is not the best idea to hang in a tree. Their house needs 6-8 hours of direct sunlight and no branches close enough to interfere with bats entering and leaving. If you have a tree that will provide this, go for it. A dead tree with branches removed could work but eventually the base will rot and the tree will topple, which could happen in as little as 5 years, depending on the tree.

It should not but talk to your neighbors. If they have kids, ask them to leave them alone.

Yes, that should be alright as long as it's not leaning too much or at too much of an angle.