I don't have one but always wanted to put one up. Not sure my house is tall enough but from what I've read your 14' pole should be good.

oooh... and run a confederate rose up it, too. or some coral vine. that would be very nice.

I got also interested in this.. My property is not too large and I have planted some trees, I understand the poles away from trees are a must... and I am also concerned about the look of it... (and if the HOA would allow it...) . I found this link from UFL
http://news.ufl.edu/2001/10/29/backyard-bats/

If anyone has one and would like to share a picture it would really help...

Cheers

Thanks for that article. We, too, noticed the recommended distance from trees and actually have a pretty good spot in mind. I guess the distance is for predator protection. We live on three acres which has lots of trees but have a clear spot where we could put a pole in the middle and be about 25-30 feet clear from the trees around it in all directions. It gets lots of sun, too, which seems to be required.

Ill - when we get it put up, I'll let you pick the vine. :0)

I think the distance from trees thing could be related to giving the bats easy access in and out of the house. They swoop in very fast, so a clear "run way" in front of the house would probably help. Might be for predators, too, I don't know. I do know that martins need a lot of clearance in and out of their house for that reason, and I'm guessing bats might prefer that, too, rather than twisting and turning through trees to reach their shelter.

I would also like to learn more, though I don't know if I have a good spot here for a bat house.

Marcia