bat houses

76 x 46 x 10 cm   .  re-purposed wood, tree bark, acrylic, dye, resin, polyurethane   .   (2024)

exhibited at Athenaeum Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia

Today, bats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destruction, accelerated climate change, invasive species, white nose syndrome, and other stresses. Without concerted international action, their populations will continue to fall, driving many species to extinction (batcon.org).

These three bat houses were designed with the help of Marxe Orbach, a bat biologist. Each house features an illustration of a bat common to the DMV area. 

Unlike bird houses, successful bat houses have specific requirements. For instance, they should be caulked to prevent water from seeping in as well as incorporate vents and height so bats can move vertically to find their preferred temperatures through daily and seasonal cycles (The Bat House Builder’s Handbook, rev 2013, Merlin Tuttle, Mark Kiser, Selena Kiser). The houses displayed in this exhibit will ultimately serve as nurseries for females and their offspring, and include: three roost chambers with access between each inside the house; furrows on the landing strip and compartment dividers so the mammals can cling with ease; an entrance from the bottom to prevent access by birds, mice, and parasites; and a recommended 3½ inches of space between roost dividers (ibid).

Bats are wonderful for helping to control mosquitos (one little bat can catch 1000 or more mosquito-sized insects in an hour (ibid)), and their guano serves as a potent fertilizer. They pollinate many plants, including agave. I am hopeful that these working bat house sculptures can highlight bats’ importance to our natural world and serve as a conduit for human/bat interconnection.