bat houses?

[dave1949]

Some success with treating White Nose Syndrome:

Bananas to Bats: The Science Behind the First Bats Successfully Treated for White-Nose Syndrome | Cool Green Science

 

[caver]

We found the million+ bats that vomit forth from the Carlsbad Cavern entrance at dusk to be
more amazing than the inside of the caves.

I've been down inside the entrance during the evening bat flight. I was with a group who does volunteer work for the cave and we got back early from our restoration project. A bird researcher needed help banding cave swallows and that was our reward. It was very bizarre having thousands of bats flying past you. the morning flight is cool too as they come back one by one. They do a dive bomb into the entrance and their wings make a sound like burning plastic as it drips.

 

[DrRod]

I've always wondered what they eat. I just never thought of the southwestern desert as being highly buggy.

Other thing I wonder about is do the bats prefer the bat house and therefore leave your house/porch alone? We've had bats camping in the porch rafters for years and for a while they were getting into the house [not at all cool]. Would a couple of bat houses draw them away from the house or just bring more bats into the area?

One night I turned on the house spot lights, which attracted a zillion bugs, and in turn a zillion bats. It was amazing how many bats congregated around the yard. And when they aren't frittering about they fly at incredible speed [sort of the bat out of **** thing]. And they would zip into the woods and back out at such speed that you would think they would hit trees. Something to be admired in something so viscerally offensive.

 

[breadtrk]

Bleach spray will dissuade them from using your rafters. But, why bother? Can you seriously state one time any of those bats got in your hair or wife's hair, or any other instance of inconvenience? One instance of them landing on you or any other human?

Just one will do, don't fall into the mainstream media induced fear of bats. They are not sounding you, you are way too big, their soundings direct them away form you.

 

[Fire Quacker]

Been wanting to put up a couple bat houses at our pond but haven't got around to it. We see them now and then, not many though. As long as they didn't bother the martins or blue birds everything would be kosher.

 

[breadtrk]

A pond is a very good bonus. Go for it.

 

[Redneck in training]

We see bats flying around our place too. I put up several bat houses but none was ever occupied. There are lot of hollow trees in the woods so they have places to sleep I suppose. Friend of mine had them in the wall of his house. So he built a bat house and placed it nearby then when they left to feed at evening he plugged the entry hole. Next night the bat house was occupied. Here is a link to the largest bat house in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaJElsZcrTo

 

[dfkrug]

I've been down inside the entrance during the evening bat flight. I was with a group who
does volunteer work for the cave and we got back early from our restoration project. A bird researcher needed
help banding cave swallows and that was our reward. It was very bizarre having thousands of bats flying past
you. the morning flight is cool too as they come back one by one. They do a dive bomb into the entrance and
their wings make a sound like burning plastic as it drips.

That musta been cool.

Around here in the Santa Cruz Mtns, when the bats come out in the eve, they swoop around and miss
your head within inches, but I never hear them. These are amazing and beneficial creatures. Like snakes,
I do not know why folks are freaked out by them. They never fly into you, and only bite you if you try to pick them
up.

Any truth to the theory that bats do not defecate in flight? If true, a flock of them flying overhead would
not be as risky as birds are.

 

[caver]

Any truth to the theory that bats do not defecate in flight? If true, a flock of them flying overhead would
not be as risky as birds are.

I've never heard that....they crap on my camper when over at my rural property.

 

[Redneck in training]

I visited Niah cave on Borneo many years ago. The cave is inhabited by swallows and bats. The swallows exit in the morning and the bats return at evening it is the other way around. It is magnificent sight to see million(s) of swallows and bats exit or enter the cave. Yes there are many meters of guano in the cave.
The swallows nest are harvested and cleaned by people (they have to have a license) and sold on the market for swallow's nest soup. If you fly via Kuala Lumpur you can buy it on the airport. I watched a guy harvesting the nest. He was hanging on one hand on mahogany plank anchored to the ceiling and poking the nests down with a bamboo stick. Needles to say that the cavern is several hundred feet high. I will find pictures and post them later.