When to Tap Maple Trees and Instructions on How to Tap Them
By Mark J. Donovan
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In this video Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows how to build a bat house.
One way to keep bats from roosting in your home is to offer them another nearby place to live. Providing an alternative place for bats to live has a number of advantages. First, bats are a natural pest control solution. A single bat, for example, eats thousands of insects every night. Insects, that often carry diseases. Second, some species of bats have been severely threatened in recent years by an invasive fungus called White-Nose Syndrome.
| Third, bats have slow reproduction rates thus making their species difficult to continue to exist due to the destruction of their natural habitats and pesticide use.
Lastly, because bats are an endangered species it is against the law to remove them from your home by killing them. Thus, the best solution when you have bats in your home is to effectively prevent, or exclude, them from getting into your home and providing them with alternative living conditions, i.e. by building a bat house for them. |
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Building a bat house is easy to do, and it can be done inexpensively. The bat house built, as shown in the video referenced on this page, was constructed out of a sheet of 48″ x 18″ exterior grade plywood, a six foot length of 1″x3″ lumber, caulk, 1-5/8 galvanized screws, screen mesh, staples, and exterior grade latex paint.
In regards to tools, for straight and clean lines I recommend using a table saw and a miter saw. You will also need a drill with drill bits, a screwdriver, caulking gun, staple gun, and a paint brush.
| As shown in the video referenced on this page, the dimensions of my bat house were 24″ in length by 14″ in width. The depth of the bat house was 4 inches and the front panel length was 17-1/2 inches in length.
For the roof, I used a 30 degree angle to create a sufficient slope for rain water to easily drain off of it. After cutting all the wood panel sections, I screwed them together using the 1-5/8 inch galvanized screws. I also stapled plastic screen mesh onto the back and front panels to enable the bats to have something to cling on to. You’ll also see in the video that I cut 1/2 inch slits across the bottom six inches of the bat house to enable the bats to land and crawl up into it. |
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Before screwing the top panel and roof onto the bat house I caulked all seams with a paintable latex/silicone based caulk to keep the inside of the bat house free from drafts and water. Bats like a hot dry bat house.
Finally, I painted just the outside of the bat box with a dark brown exterior grade latex paint. Again, to keep the inside of the bat house warm it is important to use a dark paint, preferably either brown or black.
After building my bat house I mounted it in a tree. You can also mount it on a post or the side of your house. However, the bat house should be at least 15 feet off the ground and face south to southeast. Also, there should be no obstructions to it within 20 to 30 feet of it.
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Planning to have a Brick or Paver Walkway Installed by a Landscaping Contractor but not sure what questions to ask to ensure you hire the right one? See HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Brick and Paver Walkway Bid Sheet. The Brick and Paver Walkway Bid Sheet will help ensure that your walkway project goes smoothly and you get the finished walkway you are looking for.
Additional Landscaping Resources from Amazon.com
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