Today 
Overview
A bat box works on the same principle as a bird box, except that bats prefer a wedge-shaped roost and enter through a gap underneath rather than a hole at the front. Using cheap, untreated wood, this box will give bats the perfect place to shelter and roost in your garden. If you're lucky, they may even give birth and raise their young there, so make sure you site it in a sheltered spot.
Do it:
February - October
Takes just:
2 hours
How to do it
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Using a pencil, divide and cut the plank into the following sized pieces: 40cm x 15cm (back), 23cm x 20cm (roof) and 23cm x 15cm (front). Finally cut a piece 20cm x 34cm and cut it diagonally to create two triangles for the sides of the bat box.
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Place the backboard on a flat surface and cut ridges into it, 2mm deep every 0.5cm, to make a 'ladder' for the bats to climb up.
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Take one of the side triangles and measure 12.5cm from the acute angle along the longest length. Draw a horizontal line across the triangle at this point and cut off the smallest part. Repeat with the other side.
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Glue and nail the two side panels to the front panel of the bat box. Sit the roof on top and push up the backboard to check for a tight fit. Glue and nail on the backboard. Glue and nail on the roof and an eyelet for hanging and hang above ground on a tree, post or house wall.
"Rough sawn wood is ideal for giving bats something to cling onto, but if you can't find any then roughen it with saw cuts to help them cling properly."
"To give bats the chance to choose the most suitable roost for the particular time of year site three boxes in your garden facing north, south-west and south-east."
