Bat House Forum

[Doug]

I have a bat living in my wood stove this summer. Will he leave before heating season? He seems to come and go through the stack as we can hear scratching when he moves. The stove has a glass door so my wife and I are able to watch him go about his routine, mostly crawling around, resting and fiddling with a collection of moth carcasses he has brought in from outside...I'm telling you..it's fascinating!

However, my concern is that he will attempt to stay into cold weather rather than move to winter roost with the rest of the bats in the area....is this a valid concern or am I worrying about nothing? I'm an avid bat enthusiast but know little about their winter requirements. Any advice?

Doug

[Doug]

I guess my fears of the bat in my stove staying into the winter were unfounded.

he left sometime this week and hasn't returned......off to the hibernaculum like a tiny Bella Lugosi 

[Joe Spencer]

Sorry I couldn't help you promptly for I have been away.  Glad the bat left the stove before you needed to use it.  Looks like if you have some decent bat houses mounted you may attract him there instead of your stove.  Doug do you have a chimney cap?  

 

[Doug]

Joe,

It has a cap but the openings a large enough to allow the little bats to get in. Barry from chiroptera cabins in vermont suggested I use galvinized screen over the cap. I'll try that for next year.

thanks

[Joe Spencer]

What he may be referring to is the 1/4" square galvanized screening.  I used it in a bat house once tho i stopped since it can have sharp points within it which might rip a bats wing.