Bat House Forum

[cloudman75]

This is the first year I have ever seen Mexican freetail bats at my location in the metro Atlanta GA area. Also there are many little browns still here and roosting with the freetails. The attached photo shows freetails and a couple of Little Browns beside them in the same 5 chamber box. All three boxes of mine still have a number of bats using them. There are not as many droppings under the houses as one would expect for so many bats. Also the droppings are smaller now that insects are not that plentiful. I suspect they may be eating smaller insects or a smaller amount. The freetails will migrate to warmer weather as required is my understanding. The little browns have caves within an hours flying time from here. I suppose they are waiting for a good frost before leaving for hibernation. We have not had below freezing temps yet. This photo was taken Nov. 18 a little after midnight.

[Dave Miller]

Great photo! That reminds me I need to see if my houses are still occupied. We are just starting to get a little frost now and then (SW Washington state).

[cloudman75]

I checked the bat houses tonight at dusk and a few moments ago at 12:50 PM. The free tail and little browns have moved out. I do have about 25 little bats total in all three houses that
I have observed for several years. They look similar to little browns, but are smaller and another species.They do not leave to hibernate with the little browns. I don't know exactly what they are but they are the last to leave and usually the first to return. I have seen a few in winter on less colder days. We have not had frost yet. They appear to be in topor and do not fly out now to my knowledge. I may try to get a photo tomorrow night but hesitate to disturb them since they seem to be in topor tonight. It has been a good year for batting here in my area and I had four species for the first time. Big browns, Little browns , Mexican Freetails, and the unknown smaller brown bats. The smaller ones have increased from one or two in 2004 to about 25 now. They do have pups here.They are using all three houses with a few in each house. I plan to build a mounting board type house this winter similar to Terry's but not as large. I will mount the existing houses on it, and eventually eliminate them if the bats use the new house.

Frank

[IowaNate]

Great photo Frank! Although from the looks of it, the other two actually appear to be big browns. If I am right, keep an eye on your bat houses, since big browns might stay alot longer into the season that you might think. My big browns come and go all the way through December here in Iowa.

[cloudman75]

Nate,
You are not the first to say these look like big browns. Actually they are little browns in my opinion as they are about the same size as the Freetails. The baffle has warpped where they are and it is about 1/2 inch wide. for some reason the LBs
like to squeeze in there where it's tight. Also I had three big browns this year and they are easily recognized by me when actually seeing the bats as opposed to the photo. In addition their guano is much larger than the LBs. The big browns left in July when the temps got really hot and have not been back. I check the bat houses all during the winter in addition to summer. On Dec. 2, the bats all vacated the bat houses. I mark the comings and goings on a calendar which I keep for several years. I checked again last night and they are empty now. We still have not had a freeze, but the food supply for the bats has gone for the winter it appears. Where have you been hiding, have not seen a post from you in quite some time. They can be at the cave area from my house in less than an hour. It is getting in the low 30s at night here recently so I guess they think it is time to go. Usually they are gone by the last week of Nov. I'll be posting a photo of my large new bat house after I get past the planning stage and after the first of the year. I need to retire some old houses because the wife is complaining how they look. She is right as they look bad, but the bats like them.

Frank