It is critical to place the bat house in a location that is free from predators. This can be snakes, raccoons, birds of prey and the neighborhood cats. Yes, cats do prey upon bats such as they prey upon birds.
If the bat house is on a pole, place some type of shield around the pole to prevent wildlife and cats from climbing the pole. This can be a metal tube that they cannot bypass. Also, make sure it is high enough from ground so the wildlife cannot jump past it.
You can also place a pup catcher under bat house. Young bats (called pups) can fall out of the bat house. The pup catcher will prevent them from falling to ground and help them climb back into the bat house.
It is important to not get discouraged if bats do not move in right away. It can take a few years for bats to move in so be patient.
If bats do not move in after 2-3 years, you can look at a few things.
Is annual maintenance and cleaning being performed?
Is the bat house a good design?
Is the bat house placed in a good location and proper placement?
This could be a good time (during the winter) to move the box to a location that is more pleasing to the bats or make any adjustments on its current placement (proper sun exposure, proper height from ground, safe from predators).
We can help by doing an evaluation of potential or current locations to determine what works best for the bats.
Tips Installing Bat Boxes