So, you just invested in an amazing bat house (like a Big Bat Box) and now you need some help installing it? Learning how to hang a bat house isn’t too difficult - if you know what you’re doing. That’s where we come in.

At Big Bat Box, we wanted to show you how to properly hang your bat house. Our goal is to help you attract as many bats as possible. The more bats you attract, the fewer mosquitoes that’ll fly around your property.

How to Hang a Bat House Properly

If you’re curious how to hang a bat house properly, then you’ve come to the right place. Follow these tips below to ensure you attract as many bats as possible:

• The Ideal Location

It’s imperative you install your bat house near water. If no water is available within 1,500 feet, then focusing on bachelor bat houses with man-made water structures nearby can be a solid substitute.

If you have water within half-a-mile, then you’re set. A creek, stream, river, pond, or lake will suffice. Try to place the bat box as close to the water as possible on your property.

Next, you’ll want to see if there’s a forest around. Placing the bat box about 20-30 feet away from the start of a forest tree line is exceptionally attractive to bats, especially mama bats looking for nesting opportunities.

• What to Mount It On?

There are two ways to mount or hang a bat house. You can either hang the home on a post or on your home. Either way, do not put the house anywhere near tree branches. Tree branches make it easy for predators to attack the bats.

For most users, a post-mounted bat house is ideal. Posts give you the best chance to mount the home in the best possible location for your needs.

If you do mount the bat house on your home, you’ll still need to meet all the qualification guidelines to ensure the home attracts bats.

One more thing: you can mount a bat house on brick, wood, or stone buildings - as these surfaces retain heat. Do not try to mount the devices on a metal building, as the heating will turn the bats away.

• How to Hang a Bat House - Height

One of the most important factors in hanging your bat house is the height. Generally, you’ll want to have the house situated around 12-20 feet high. In certain areas, a bat house can be mounted around 30 feet. However, we’ve found 20 feet tends to work better.

No matter the height - make sure the Big Bat Box is far away from tree branches. Bats do not like tree branches near their homes! Point. Blank. Period.

• Sunlight is Right

Bats need heat to survive. That’s why bat houses are popular. They offer compact locations designed to allows bats to conserve body heat by being near each other.

In a similar manner, bat houses must get 2-8 hours of sunlight every day. The sun light ensures the houses stay hot enough for bats, especially baby bats. The warmer a bat house is the better, as mama bats will only nest in a warm locale.

• Unobstructed

Overall, a bat house should be mounted so it’s unobstructed. Bats need space to drop into flight without issues. As such, the bat house should be far away from almost anything else. This is another reason tree branches are so problematic.

• Start in the Spring

While you can install a bat house at any time of year, you’ll find more bats arrive in the spring. Springtime is the best time to hang a bat house, as the home will fill up faster as the weather warms up.

• Correct Color

Before you hang your bat house, you’ll need to paint it the right color. The correct hue will be determined by the climate you live in along with the daily houses of sun the house will receive.

Houses in cooler climates will generally want to use a darker paint color. A dark color will absorb more heat in cooler climates. This will ensure the bat house stays as hot as possible. Heat attracts bat, especially when the cooler months start to roll in.

For hot climates, a lighter outside paint color will ensure bats can enjoy a refreshing stay in the Big Bat Box. A lighter color can also be useful when a bat house has tons of sun shining on it each and every day.

How to Hang a Bat House: The Definitive Guide

At Big Bat Box, we certainly hope you find the information above useful. By following this guide, about how to hang a bat box, you’ll have the best chance of attracting bats to your property. And what does more bats mean? Less mosquitoes!

Interested in bat houses? Make sure you check out the Big Bat Box here. Just look at what our clients are saying:

"Your bat house came highly recommended from my brother in law. We last counted 70 bats...talk about bug control! We went from constantly needing bug spray to needing absolutely nothing - ever. Thanks for making and selling these!" - Dave, Colorado