Simple Bat Box Tutorial with NWPS скачать в хорошем качестве

Simple Bat Box Tutorial with NWPS

Learn how to build a bat box with the Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society. Bats are highly beneficial to have around your property. They consume pests like mosquitoes and wasps that can harm us, as well as many of the insects that destroy our global agriculture and home gardens. A single bat can eat up to 3,000 mosquitoes a night! Bats are also essential pollinators to many plant species. This simple tutorial is so quick and easy anyone can do it! Materials: 1. Dark coloured exterior grade, water-based paint or stain. (It is crucial that your bat box is a dark colour. Dark bat boxes absorb greater amounts of sunlight and will be more desirable to bat over a lighter coloured bat box.) 2. 2ft x 24" exterior grade ply wood. (front and back walls of bat box) 3. 1" x 2" x 8ft length of pine. (furring strips) 4. 20-30 exterior grade screws. 5. Exterior grade latex caulking. Sealing together the pine and plywood ensures there are no drafts or leaks in the bat box. 6.*optional* Metal flashing (roof). Tools: 1. Paint Brush 2. Power or Hand Saw 3. Drill with Bit 4. Measuring Tape 5. Pencil 6. Caulking Gun 7. Utility knife (if you cannot use saw for etching horizontal grips) Instructions: 1. Stain or paint plywood 2-3 times. 2. Measure and mark plywood: 16½" x 24", 5" x 24", 26½" x 24". 3. Saw dimensions above. 4. Mark ½" spaced lines down entire 26½" x 24" piece of plywood on both sides. 5. Using a saw or utility knife etch 1-2mm deep lines horizontally across the entire backside of the bat box. 6. Cut two 20½" pieces and one 24' piece from the pine. 7. Lay caulking along the top edge of the bat box. Now lay the 24" pine piece along the caulking. 8. Repeat step 7 by caulking and laying the 20½" pieces lengths along each side of the bat box. 9. Screw pine furring strips and plywood together. 10. Cut 22" of pine. Attach to the bottom of the 5" x 24", 1" in from either side with screws. 11. Lay caulking on bottom 5" of the vertical furring strips. Place 5" x 24" plywood with furring strip on top of caulking. Screw to furring strips. 12. Lay caulking alongs top and vertical furring strips. Align 16½" x 24" piece of plywood with the top of the bat box. Leave a ½" gap between the front two pieces of wood for a vent. 13. Seal with screws. 14. optional create a roof with metal flashing.