ColonyCabin - 3 chamber resin

We have a grant from NRCS to install three bat boxes at our farm in Northern California. The recommendation is to mount two boxes back-to-back, one facing north and one facing south. Can your 3- and 4-chamber bat boxes be mounted back-to-back? Can these boxes be mounted on 4" x 4" or 4" x 6" wooden posts?

Hello- any of our Colony bat houses and the DayLodge can be mounted back to back. Be sure to select the wood post mount kit option; when purchased with the bat houses shipping is free. Use a 4''x6''x16' post or longer. A 4''x6'' is much more substantial than a 4x4 and not that much more expensive. Please see the manuals here: https://batmanagement.com/pages/manuals both the general "All About Bat Houses" and the specific bat house you're interested in for more tips and considerations.- JC

I live in middle TN on the Cumberland plateau. I have a colony of brown bats, not sure if they are small or large but I think they are large because their faces appear to be black. They have been roosting inside my 30 by 40 ft tall metal shed where I have hung large tarps across to keep starlings from pooping on my truck and trailer. I have a single chamber house on the southern side of the shed that some of them are using. I want to encourage them to roost outside and will be dismantling the tarps when they leave to go to the caves this fall. What color of house should I use. Should I put it on the East end of the shed or can I put it on the southern side by the existing bat house.

I would install a few bat houses if possible on each side of the shed, especially if your south facing bat house is looking "full". Any of the dark colors would be appropriate: https://batmanagement.com/products/colonycabin

Will this be suitable for zone 5 in a pine tree, how high up will i need to mount it?

Hello- any of the dark colors, including brown. The tan would be a bit too light. The tree needs to be something with no limbs down low, so that the bat house gets ~7+ hours of direct morning sun. Direct morning sun is critical if you are placing just one bat house. If the tree is alive, use only one stainless steel lag bolt (obtain locally) in each mount, to minimize tree damage. 

I think I have big brown bats, and I've counted about 70 leaving my house in the evening. What kind of bat house do I need to get?

Hello- for that number of bats I would go with the larger ColonyCondo, and attach it if possible, as close as you can to where they are exiting. This will pretty much guarentee bat use. For other mounting ideas see our All About Bat Houses manual at https://batmanagement.com/pages/manuals

The ColonyCondo is located here: https://batmanagement.com/products/colonycondo

Can I mount this on a tree?

If you don’t want to set a post and that tree gets direct morning sun for awhile partway up ( at least 10’ off the ground), than that’s going to be your best option, short of putting it on some structure. You’ll want the “post mount kit” with that bat house. However, I suggest picking up some longer lag bolts in -stainless steel- from the hardware store… just 2 of them. Assemble the mount on the ground, then place on the tree so the bottom will be at least 10’ above ground. Bolt in one screw in the upper mount with an impact drill. Use a small level to level the mount and then insert the second stainless bolt thru the lower mount. Here is the manual for the mount detail:https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2378/9221/files/ColonyCabin.pdf?v=1707617811 You want to use stainless to reduce the risk of weakening or even killing the tree. And only 2 bolts total rather than 4 you see in our manual, for same reason. You need to purchase 2- 3/8 x 3.5’’ or maybe 4’' stainless lag bolts; a little longer than normal because the tree is round/uneven and you have to get thru the thickness of the bark. Some advise not using trees because the location of the bat house may be too shaded, and it may be easier for predators to get to the bat house. The predation isn't a probem -possibly- until you get a lot of bat activity, in which case you might consider a guard.

How much hot afternoon sun should the Colony Cabin 3 chamber get? I live in Sonoma CA 95476.

We recommend all bathouses receive at least 6 hours of -direct- morning sun, except in low elevation desert locations. If it does not get some number of direct morning sun, it may never house bats, or at least take a number of years. When bats start occupying the bat house, consider another one nearby but perhapse more shaded; bats will move between the two as needed. - JC

What color is best for central piedmont NC? I think you are out of brown so I wasn’t sure if green would work. Thanks

If starting a new colony and installing just one bat house, then any of the dark colors may work- black, brown, green. If/when you start building a colony, you might consider a second bat house possibly somewhere nearby that receives afternoon shade, or perhapse on the backside of the first bat house. Direct morning sun is critical, mounting on a building benifits from the heat radiating from the building. See more at https://batmanagement.com/pages/manuals

Hornets completely blocked/took over the bat house. How do you prevent another takeover? (Westmoreland County, PA)

Wasp nests can be removed or demolished by standing off to one side and using a long thin stick/pole, etc. to work out the debris. Do this only when bats are not present; use a spotlight to inspect the baffles for bats. You are less likely to encounter any bats between Nov-March in SW PA bat houses.