Bat Box Test Sites
About four years ago I started building and installing bat boxes with the purpose of determining which ones work best for Alberta because of the different designs available on the internet. Utilizing three areas spread across Alberta I tested the numerous designs and alterations I made to both maternity bat boxes and single chamber bat boxes.
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As a result I have two styles of maternity boxes and two styles of single chamber boxes that I now build as a standard design. Many of the results have been the same as the findings from bat house work in the USA but there have been some localized findings that are interesting and have contributed to the way I build bat boxes now.
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The bat boxes are located on the same properties as the other wildlife box programs I have initiated and all three areas have bats including the Judah Hill area, the farm and ranch land near Red Deer and ranch land on the prairies near Hussar. I have painted the boxes black at all three locations and have successful use with one exception. The bat boxes near Hussar that are in the open and black are not being used and I will alter those to be brown but the boxes along the tree line are being used and are black.
Bats and Bat Boxes Gallery
It is impractical to positively identify many of the bat species in Alberta with only a photograph. That is why I put a "?" behind most of the species.
Little brown myotis? and a wasp nest. One year I had wasp nests in half of the bat boxes near Red Deer. All of the other years there have been none.
It is impractical to positively identify many of the bat species in Alberta with only a photograph. That is why I put a "?" behind most of the species.