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Webelos >
Build a Bat House
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Webelos – 4th Grade
Champions for Nature Webelos
Elective
Requirement 6

Build a Bat House

Webelos – 4th Grade
Champions for Nature Webelos
Elective
Requirement 6

Build a Bat House

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts build bat houses.

Indoor
3
5
4
If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.

You can find this project in Scout Life “How to Build a Bat House .”

  • 1⁄2″ x 30″ x 36″ sheet of exterior plywood (Don’t use pressure-treated plywood; it’s toxic to bats)
  • 1⁄2” x 26″ x 36″ sheet of exterior plywood
  • 1″ x 4″ x 40″ board for the roof
  • Two 1″ x 2″ x 24 1⁄2″ boards for interior frame
  • 1″ x 2″ x 36″ board for interior frame
  • Four 1″ x 2″ x 3″ wood spacer blocks
  • Crosscut saw
  • Pocketknife
  • One quart of dark exterior water-based stain
  • 53 1″ exterior wood screws
  • Seven 1 5⁄8″ exterior wood screws for the roof
  • Drill
  • 1⁄2″ drill bit for vent holes
  • 3⁄32″ drill bit for screw pilot holes
  • Countersink bit so screws are flush
  • Phillips screwdriving bit
  • Two squeeze tubes of exterior, paintable caulking
  • One quart of exterior water-based primer
  • Two quarts of exterior black or gray water-based paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Hammer for each Cub Scout
  • Safety glasses for each Cub Scout

Before the meeting:

  1. Cut out all the bat house boards. The cuts are found here How to Build a Bat House 
  2. Drill 1⁄2″ vent holes as shown in the document. In cold climates, you need only three or four vent holes.
  3. Drill pilot holes in the back panel to avoid splitting.

During the meeting:

  1. Tell Cub Scouts that they’ll be making bat houses.
  2. Have Cub Scouts use their pocketknives to scribe shallow grooves (less than 1⁄16″ deep) across the inside of the back sheet of plywood, about 1⁄4″ to 1⁄2″ apart. The grooves help bats grip the plywood.
  3. Ask Cub Scouts to run a bead of caulk onto the contact surfaces of the interior frame and spacer blocks, and then screw them in place. All surfaces that are in contact with each other should be caulked before screwing them together. Caulking acts as a gasket, sealing out water.
  4. Have Cub Scouts stain the interior of the bat house, including the plywood, frame and spacer blocks. Allow the stain to dry.
  5. Tell Cub Scouts to caulk and screw the back panel to the frame and spacer blocks.
  6. Have Cub Scouts caulk and screw on the roof. A drop of caulking in each screw pilot hole will help waterproof the bat house and keep the inside dry.
  7. Ask Cub Scouts to paint the exterior with primer, then apply two coats of paint. Use black paint for colder climates and gray paint for warmer climates.
  8. Explain to Cub Scouts that they should place their bat house at least 10’ high on a building or tree with southern exposure is best.

Tip: This may take longer than one den meeting to complete.

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You can choose other activities of your choice.

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Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.