Are there any recommended vendors or build-yourself plans for bat boxes similar to the successful design mentioned by Marylou? I've looked at several bat box designs, and none of them seemed at all comparable to typical natural bat roosts. None of them seemed able to accomodate any more than 20 individuals either.
Would DEFINITELY appreciate recommendations. -B On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 12:19 PM, Minton, Mark<[email protected]> wrote: > Here is a reply I got about bat houses. > > Mark Minton > ________________________________ > From: [email protected] > Sent: Wed 6/10/2009 8:00 PM > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Bat boxes definitely work > > M Minton, > Someone forwarded to me your email that asked if bat boxes work. When > properly placed, they seem very attractive to bats. I did a study a few > yrs ago comparing different bat box designs with summer-long monitoring. > However, I must admit that I went to great lengths to make these sites the > Taj Mahal of bat boxes, more than most folks would probably do: I > constructed them to be very durable (triple coat of exterior latex, ceramic > coated screws, sheet metal roof), put predator guards on them (both aerial > & climbing predators), applied a non-toxic wasp deterrent and put them in > clearings within forested areas, such that they got solar exposure from > dawn until dusk (probably the single most important factor). > The bats largely agreed: Of 16 that I put up, 15 were used by several bats > most days during the summer, and only one site got very little use. Of the > 15 used regularly, several were used by dozens of individuals. Two > actually became home to nursery colonies where dozens of females gave birth > to pups. So, yeah, bat boxes work. When done properly. > Marylou Schnoes, Lead Wildlife Biologist > Glendale Resource Area, Medford District > Bureau of Land Management > Tel. 541.471.6616 > Grants Pass Interagency Office > 2164 NE Spalding > Grants Pass, Oregon 97526 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
