Bat House Forum

[Dave Miller]

This is one of the best articles I have seen on WNS. I had not heard that Vermont has added the little brown bat to their endangered species list.

I'm not sure what implications a federal listing of little browns as endangered might have on us bat house folks...???

http://sentinelsource.com/features/envi ... 691ba.html

[Joe Spencer]

Thanks Dave! The tragedy continues..

[Markcuda]

I am trying to do my part in providing as many bat houses that I can.
I am sure it's minuscule in the grand scheme of things.

[cloudman75]

I only have about 60 Little Browns this year which is less than half of the norm for this time of year. I would like to think it is because I changed their
houses all around, and not anything bad like wns. I have noticed that they are conserving energy by coming back in a couple of hours and spending more time in the bat house. I took a photo of a single big brown that has taken to my new bat house painted blue. There is a tiny bat in that same house with the big brown. My bats usually hang aroung until first frost and freezing weather at night. Then they hibernate until sometime in March depending on the weather. When the weather warms for a few days in winter I will get a vistor or two from a small species that does not go to the cave. I usually have one that stays in my west facing attic louver until it really gets cold around 20 degrees F. I have 6 bat houses up with 4 being used by one or more bats. I took photos tonight and saw a couple of freetails, but that is way down from normal. They roost with the little browns.

Frank

[Terry Lobdell]

So far here in NWPA our little brown population is doing well........my numbers are the same or better than last year at all the colonies I monitor......

[Joe Spencer]

Terry, this contradicts logic with this horrible affliction and your information is reason for hope and great to hear. If this disease dies out with all its hosts gone and not spreading further or they find out how to approach it, your area could be instrumental in having some of the most little browns in the northeast while on an endangered list. It is a long shot for sure but thanks for the good news feedback. My sites are down 80% little brown and about 20% big brown although I only have a few I'm monitoring.

[Terry Lobdell]

Joe, I am keeping a positive outlook......we had scares with other invasive species in the past like the gypsy moth and the zebra mussels and the worst seems to be over from them........One of my sites close by went from 110 (after pups were flying) little brown bats to 200+ and another site went from 300+/- to 400+/- just in the past year.......

[Joe Spencer]

Terry, that is wonderful news.