Supplies Necessary to Mount on a Wooden Pole

You are going to need a few supplies to put your bat house up.

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SunnyTengs bat houses

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4 in. x 6 in. x 20 ft. Construction Select Pressure-Treated Timber, PVC or Metal Pole

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1 bag of cement

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Posthole digger or auger

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Shovel

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Screw gun or a screwdriver

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Drill for tap holes

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Generally, squirrels attacking or eating bats are not a problem, but they can be a nuisance and may harass the bats.  Placing a 6x6 PVC pole or vinyl post wrap over the 4x6 wooden pole will prevent the squirrels from being able to climb up to the bat house.

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Since the house is relatively lightweight, I like to put them on the pole before erecting the pole. If you are using two bat houses place them back to back, on opposite sides of the pole.

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In general, a 4:1 depth is needed for a post extending 8 feet or more above ground level. If you are using cement, to secure the pole, you can go to a depth of 3 feet for a 20-foot pole.  In all cases, you will want to go 6 inches deeper for all posts, so that you can fill the bottom 6 inches with gravel to facilitate water drainage away from the bottom and reduce rot.

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Using either a power auger or posthole digger dig a hole at least 2-3 inches wider, on all sided, than your post. Fill the bottom 6 inches with gravel, stand pole up-right in the hole being certain that your houses are facing south-southeast, pour dry cement around the pole, make sure it is straight and cap off with the topsoil that you dugout while digging your hole.  Now soak the area but not so much as to disturb the cement.

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So, what does all that mean? For a 4x6x20 pole, you should dig an 18-inch-wide hole with a minimum depth of 3 feet 6 inches. If you live in an area prone to extreme winds you may want to go ahead and go to a depth of 4 feet 6 inches to assure stability.