{"product_id":"malcolms-hand-built-bat-box","title":"Malcolm's Hand-Built Bat Box","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.prod-wrapper * { margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; }\n.prod-wrapper { font-family: 'Poppins', 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; color: #20251f !important; background: #f7f4ee !important; max-width: 760px !important; margin: 0 auto !important; padding: 24px 18px 48px !important; font-size: 16px !important; line-height: 1.65 !important; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; }\n.prod-hero { background: #223a4d !important; border-radius: 12px !important; padding: 38px 32px !important; text-align: center !important; margin-bottom: 26px !important; }\n.prod-hero-icon { font-size: 40px !important; display: block !important; margin-bottom: 12px !important; }\n.prod-hero h1 { font-size: 26px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; }\n.prod-hero p { font-size: 15px !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: 300 !important; }\n.prod-story { background: #eef1ed !important; border-left: 4px solid #33503f !important; border-radius: 0 10px 10px 0 !important; padding: 26px 28px !important; margin-bottom: 26px !important; }\n.prod-story p.prod-story-quote { font-size: 19px !important; font-style: italic !important; color: #33503f !important; line-height: 1.55 !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; }\n.prod-story p.prod-story-author { font-size: 13px !important; color: #7b7a6c !important; font-weight: 500 !important; }\n.prod-h2 { font-size: 21px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; color: #33503f !important; margin: 34px 0 16px !important; text-align: center !important; }\n.prod-includes { display: grid !important; grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr) !important; gap: 12px !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; }\n.prod-include-tile { background: #ffffff !important; border: 1px solid #e1ddcd !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 18px 12px !important; text-align: center !important; }\n.prod-include-tile .prod-inc-icon { font-size: 26px !important; display: block !important; margin-bottom: 8px !important; }\n.prod-include-tile strong { font-size: 13.5px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; color: #33503f !important; display: block !important; margin-bottom: 4px !important; }\n.prod-include-tile span { font-size: 12px !important; color: #65604f !important; line-height: 1.45 !important; display: block !important; }\n.prod-features { display: grid !important; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr !important; gap: 14px !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; }\n.prod-feature-card { background: #ffffff !important; border: 1px solid #e1ddcd !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 20px !important; transition: transform .18s ease, box-shadow .18s ease !important; }\n.prod-feature-card:hover { transform: translateY(-3px) !important; box-shadow: 0 8px 22px rgba(34,58,77,0.14) !important; }\n.prod-feature-card .prod-feat-icon { font-size: 22px !important; display: block !important; margin-bottom: 8px !important; }\n.prod-feature-card strong { font-size: 14.5px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; color: #33503f !important; display: block !important; margin-bottom: 6px !important; }\n.prod-feature-card p { font-size: 13px !important; color: #54514a !important; line-height: 1.55 !important; }\n.prod-expert { background: #223a4d !important; border-radius: 12px !important; padding: 30px 32px !important; margin: 34px 0 !important; }\n.prod-expert p.prod-expert-quote { font-size: 15.5px !important; font-style: italic !important; line-height: 1.7 !important; margin-bottom: 14px !important; }\n.prod-expert p.prod-expert-name { font-size: 13px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }\n.prod-expert p.prod-expert-inst { font-size: 12px !important; }\n.prod-perfect-for { display: flex !important; flex-wrap: wrap !important; gap: 9px !important; justify-content: center !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; }\n.prod-tag { background: #eef1ed !important; border: 1px solid #d6d2bc !important; border-radius: 999px !important; padding: 8px 15px !important; font-size: 13px !important; font-weight: 500 !important; color: #33503f !important; }\n.prod-list { background: #ffffff !important; border: 1px solid #e1ddcd !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 24px 26px !important; margin-bottom: 10px !important; list-style: none !important; }\n.prod-list li { padding: 10px 0 10px 30px !important; position: relative !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #444444 !important; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee7d6 !important; line-height: 1.55 !important; }\n.prod-list li:last-child { border-bottom: none !important; }\n.prod-list li::before { content: \"\\2713\" !important; position: absolute !important; left: 2px !important; top: 10px !important; color: #a8874f !important; font-weight: 700 !important; font-size: 15px !important; }\n.prod-list li strong { color: #33503f !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }\n.prod-guarantee { background: #eef1ed !important; border: 1px solid #d6d2bc !important; border-radius: 12px !important; padding: 28px 30px !important; text-align: center !important; margin: 34px 0 !important; }\n.prod-guarantee h3 { font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; color: #33503f !important; margin-bottom: 8px !important; }\n.prod-guarantee p { font-size: 14px !important; color: #54514a !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; }\n.prod-note { background: #f3efe6 !important; border: 1px solid #e0d8bd !important; border-radius: 10px !important; padding: 20px 24px !important; margin-bottom: 26px !important; }\n.prod-note p { font-size: 13.5px !important; color: #565033 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; }\n.prod-note strong { color: #3f3a1f !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }\n.prod-specs { width: 100% !important; border-collapse: collapse !important; background: #ffffff !important; border: 1px solid #e1ddcd !important; border-radius: 10px !important; overflow: hidden !important; }\n.prod-specs td { padding: 12px 16px !important; font-size: 13.5px !important; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee7d6 !important; vertical-align: top !important; }\n.prod-specs tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none !important; }\n.prod-specs td:first-child { font-weight: 600 !important; color: #33503f !important; width: 38% !important; background: #f7f4ee !important; }\n.prod-specs td:last-child { color: #444444 !important; }\n@media (max-width: 600px) {\n  .prod-includes { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr !important; }\n  .prod-features { grid-template-columns: 1fr !important; }\n  .prod-hero h1 { font-size: 22px !important; }\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-wrapper\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-hero\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-hero-icon\"\u003e🦇\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003ch1 style=\"color:#ffffff !important;\"\u003eHand-Built in the Stroud Valleys, Gloucestershire\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color:#d7ddd2 !important;\"\u003eMalcolm Reeve, seventy-two — forty-four years a Cotswold roofer, and thirty-four Junes counting the same chapel colony. He took their roosts off for a living. These are the roosts he is putting back. 68 left, and no second batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-story\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"prod-story-quote\"\u003e“Everybody builds them a little house with a little front door. They don’t want a door — they want a crack.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"prod-story-author\"\u003e— Malcolm Reeve, Amberley, Gloucestershire\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"prod-h2\"\u003eWhat arrives at your door\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-includes\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-include-tile\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-inc-icon\"\u003e🦇\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Bat Box\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne hand-built untreated-timber roost, ready to go up\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-include-tile\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-inc-icon\"\u003e🔼\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpen-Bottom Entry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe only way in — they land low and climb up inside\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-include-tile\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-inc-icon\"\u003e📝\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSiting Card\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight, aspect and the right month to put it up\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-include-tile\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-inc-icon\"\u003e🪛\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-Drilled Board\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo fixing holes in the backboard — straight onto the wall\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"prod-h2\"\u003eWhy a colony moves in — and a garden-centre box hangs empty for years\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-features\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e🌡\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Cold-Roof Build\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThick, solid, untreated timber — no zinc, no tar, no felt, no dark coat. The mass holds a steady temperature through a July afternoon instead of climbing into the range that finishes a nursery in a thin box. “I spent forty years keeping roofs cool and dry,” Malcolm says. “Same job. Smaller.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e🦇\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Slate-Gap Crevice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside is a crack, not a room. The grooves are cut tight enough that the animal’s back and belly both touch wood at once — the pressure that tells it it is safe. Most boxes give them an open chamber, and an open chamber reads as exposed ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e🪵\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Underneath Entry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bat never goes in at the front. It lands low, then climbs up through the open bottom — exactly the way it would go up under a slate. The gaps you can see between the logs are structure, not doorways. Getting this one thing wrong is why so many boxes never get used.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e🧵\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNothing To Snag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo membrane, no weave, no fabric, no loose fibre anywhere on it. Research by the University of Reading with the Bat Conservation Trust found that non-woven breathable roof membranes pose an entanglement risk to bats. Malcolm builds the deliberate opposite: solid timber and bark, nothing a claw can pull free.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e🌳\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fallen-Oak Frame\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eFallen oak and sweet chestnut off the valley floor — two of the few timbers in this country that last outdoors with nothing at all put on them. No stain, no preservative, no sealant. Nothing to off-gas, and nothing the animal has to breathe in a sealed cavity all day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-feature-card\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-feat-icon\"\u003e👐\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Quiet Build\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawknife, brace and mallet instead of a router. Slower, quieter, and no cracked seams to open in the first wet winter. Every box is cut, bored and grooved by Malcolm himself — about two days of work in each one, and no second batch once the stack is gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-expert\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"prod-expert-quote\" style=\"color:#ffffff !important;\"\u003e“People picture bats in caves, but over here the females gather in warm day roosts through the summer to raise a single pup each — and in this country those roosts are almost always in buildings. Re-roofing, loft conversions and barn conversions have quietly removed an enormous amount of that habitat, and the insect supply has fallen at the same time. A good box replaces what has been lost, but only if it gets three things right: thick untreated timber that won’t overheat, entry from the open bottom, and a rough grooved interior they can grip. Get those wrong and it either cooks or stays empty. Put one up on a warm wall and you’re doing something genuinely useful — recovery here happens one pup at a time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"prod-expert-name\" style=\"color:#cdbb94 !important;\"\u003eDr Helen Marsden, Bat Ecologist\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"prod-expert-inst\" style=\"color:#a9a07f !important;\"\u003eSevern Vale Bat Ecology Group\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"prod-h2\"\u003ePerfect for\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-perfect-for\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🦇 Common \u0026amp; soprano pipistrelles\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🦟 Natural midge \u0026amp; mosquito control\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🌳 Gardens with trees or hedgerow\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🏡 Back-of-house wildlife\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🌾 Smallholdings \u0026amp; allotments\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🌿 Wildlife gardens\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🎁 A gift for a nature lover\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"prod-tag\"\u003e🌙 Dusk watchers\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"prod-h2\"\u003eQuality you can check yourself\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"prod-list\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThick, untreated timber\u003c\/strong\u003e — holds a steady temperature through the summer instead of cooking the colony inside.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOpen-bottom entry\u003c\/strong\u003e — the safe, predator-resistant way bats actually use a roost, not a decorative front hole.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRough, grooved interior\u003c\/strong\u003e — bark-on timber and hand-cut grooves give them something to climb and hold.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNothing loose or woven\u003c\/strong\u003e — no membrane and no fibre anywhere a claw could pull it free.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinal batch, built by hand\u003c\/strong\u003e — every box is made by Malcolm himself. Once the stack is gone, there is no restock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-guarantee\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e30-Day Money-Back Guarantee\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePut it up on a warm wall and live with it for a few weeks. If it arrives not as described, or it simply isn’t right for your spot, send it back within 30 days for a full refund. One email is all it takes — and delivery is free.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"prod-note\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA note on handmade variation and wild tenants:\u003c\/strong\u003e Every box is cut and finished by hand from natural logs, so grain, bark, colour and small marks vary from one to the next — that is the mark of real handwork, not a fault. And bats are wild. Sited properly — a warm south or south-east facing wall, 4–5 m up, sheltered from the prevailing wind, clear of lights and with an open flight line in — a box is often found within a season or two, but the timing belongs to the colony, not to us. Put it up in late winter or early spring so it has weathered and is waiting before the maternity season starts in May. Bats and their roosts are protected by law: once a box is occupied, leave it alone and don’t disturb it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"prod-h2\"\u003eProduct details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"prod-specs\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFallen oak \u0026amp; sweet chestnut logs on a pine backboard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFinish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBare natural timber, bark left on — no paint, stain or sealant; weathers to silver-grey\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSet contents\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1 bat box with open-bottom entry \u0026amp; grooved interior · siting card\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDimensions (outer)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApprox. 35 × 23 × 13 cm (13.8 × 9.1 × 5.1 in)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRoost\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNarrow grooved interior crevices, reached from the open bottom\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEntry\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOpen bottom — the only way in; they climb up into the crevices\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuits\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCrevice-dwelling species — common and soprano pipistrelles above all\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eColour\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural timber\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSiting\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarm south or south-east wall, 4–5 m (13–16 ft) up, sheltered, clear of lights, open flight line\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCare\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAlmost none — a look from below once a year in late autumn. Never open an occupied box.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand-built by Malcolm Reeve in Amberley, Gloucestershire\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAvailability\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFinal batch — 68 only, no restock · 4.8 ★\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Handmade by Malcolm Reeve","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58813050880348,"sku":"NM-MALCOLM-BATBOX","price":39.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0903\/4081\/9292\/files\/g01-prod-01-stump-garden.jpg?v=1787733652","url":"https:\/\/mymindmate.de\/products\/malcolms-hand-built-bat-box","provider":"Namora","version":"1.0","type":"link"}