Before the meeting:
- Cut out all the bat house boards. The cuts are found here How to Build a Bat House
- Drill 1⁄2″ vent holes as shown in the document. In cold climates, you need only three or four vent holes.
- Drill pilot holes in the back panel to avoid splitting.
During the meeting:
- Tell Cub Scouts that they’ll be making bat houses.
- Have Cub Scouts use their pocketknives to scribe shallow grooves (less than 1⁄16″ deep) across the inside of the back sheet of plywood, about 1⁄4″ to 1⁄2″ apart. The grooves help bats grip the plywood.
- Ask Cub Scouts to run a bead of caulk onto the contact surfaces of the interior frame and spacer blocks, and then screw them in place. All surfaces that are in contact with each other should be caulked before screwing them together. Caulking acts as a gasket, sealing out water.
- Have Cub Scouts stain the interior of the bat house, including the plywood, frame and spacer blocks. Allow the stain to dry.
- Tell Cub Scouts to caulk and screw the back panel to the frame and spacer blocks.
- Have Cub Scouts caulk and screw on the roof. A drop of caulking in each screw pilot hole will help waterproof the bat house and keep the inside dry.
- Ask Cub Scouts to paint the exterior with primer, then apply two coats of paint. Use black paint for colder climates and gray paint for warmer climates.
- Explain to Cub Scouts that they should place their bat house at least 10’ high on a building or tree with southern exposure is best.
Tip: This may take longer than one den meeting to complete.
