Bat House Forum

[janeylou]

Hello. I live in EASTERN Ontario. I recently noticed a little brown bat hanging outside above my bedroom window. It is Oct31. He has only moved a few inches, closer to the outside vent. don't think he has flown anywhere at night. It is starting to get pretty chilly at night. I am wondering if he is going to try and get in my apartment? Is he sick? Why hasn't he found somewhere indoor to roost for the winter? He has been there about aa week now. I have been keeping my windows shut tight and taped up all around my air conditioner, because i really don't want him inside!! But I am worried, he will die if he stays out there, it will be too cold. do they wake up at all in the day time? Friends say to poke him with a broom and he will move on, but I am afraid to do this? Won't he just come back? Thank you for answering my questions.

[cloudman75]

Janeylou,
I am of the opinion that you have acted exactly right by not poking the bat, and sealing up any entrance close by it. It may be sick, and it may not. If it is sick, chances are it will die in place still holding its' position. If it is healthy, it will leave on its' own before it gets too cold for it to survive. I waited several days with the hope that some of the forum near your location would post a reply.Seeing none, I am giving you my opinion based on similar situations I have experienced here in Georgia during weather below freezing. Please post what happens to your bat, as I would be anxious to know and others on the forum would also find it informative I think.


Frank

[janeylou]

Thank you Frank for getting back to me. I am kind of thinking maybe he has died and remained in place as you say. It has been very cold the last few nights, minus 4 and lots of frost on the rooves in the am and he has not budged. His fur on his back is all flattened out. Sort of sad to see, I was getting attached to him:) I will keep watching him, wonder why he didn't try to go somewhere warmer? He hasn't moved in almost a week. It did get very warm out before that, thinking maybe he filled up on lady bugs as there was quite an invasion of them for a few days. And then maybe went into hibernation? I will keep watching him and let you know. I don't think there are any bat rescue places around here and think it may be too late now.

[janeylou]

he is still there, hasn't moved. If he were dead, wouldn't he be decomposing by now. Sorry, I know that is a gross question, but wondering?

[William Bagwell]

A critter that small can dry out before it rots and starts smelling. Especially if it is very cold and dry. Reminds me of something I had not thought of in years when I was a child my dad brought home a dehydrated bat they had found in an airplane. Seem to recall it was found in the cowling of a piston engine plane. Also seem to recall I was allowed to look but not touch the poor little dead bat. Amazing how much wiser my parents have gotten as I get older

Oh, funny you mentioning lady bugs the other day. Looks like you got them one possibly two days earlier up there than we did down here.

[cloudman75]

Janelou, I agree with what William said. I had one to die on the bat box still clinging to the rough side. After several months, I took a pole and removed it. It had no odor, was not decayed that I could see, and its' face still looked as it could be alive. However it was very much dead. I have some little browns, about 25 that are not flying out at dusk now. I think they are in topor and sleeping, but don't know for sure. They do this in cold weather until they decide it is time to go to the cave and hibernate. The bat you have will not decay anytime soon, but will be a mummy so to speak and just dry out. I hope that you will consider putting a bat box up this winter for the bats to use next spring.
Keep us posted on what happens please.

Frank

[janeylou]

Okay, thank you. I will just leave it alone for now and keep an eye on it. Maybe it is sleeping. The coldest it has gotten so far is minus 4. I will let you know. He did move the first week, a couple feet from above my window to closer to a vent. Maybe that vent provides some warmth? Will definately put a bat box up somewhere next year. Can't at my building(condo rules) but there is a woods behind the building.

[Joe Spencer]

Great news on the putting up a bat house. Hope your condo association allows it. -4 is too cold for a completely exposed bat unless it is near a warm draft source or heat source. At this temperature they would have to arouse, burn fat and would likely move a bit or relocate. If you saw no movement at all from where the bat was located it likely perished. The dead bats I use in presentations are dehydrated bats people find and donate to me. During the spring/summer in slightly cooler temperatures I observe more noise/chatter from bats during arousal from a daily torpor readying for flight. Later this year/fall, all my bats had left the bat houses. My family alerted me to a loud chirping/squeaking noise outside that was amazingly loud. I immediately found that one big brown bat had arrived using the bat house and was moving greatly about 30 minutes prior to emerging for feeding. He stayed a few more days and left for migration/hibernation. Have the rest of you seen similar behavior (louder arousal during cooler times) in your areas especially like Terry in more Northern latitudes?

[Terry Lobdell]

Joe, my big browns seem to stay in torpor during cool weather........from all that I have seen they remain still and quiet and roost in cooler boxes so they don't wake up and burn calories. I've had big browns roosting as late as Nov. 28th and ans early as March 6th.

[janeylou]

Alright!!! This is amazing. Wish I knew how to put a picture on here. My bat is still there. A coupe days ago I noticed one wing out. I thought maybe rigormortous had set in. I just looked and now the wing is tucked back in!! so, he must still be alive. He has not moved from the spot he was in, only that wing. Do you think he could be stuck there? Should I give him a shove? Don't want to make him expend energy. Thought I heard chattering one night. He is situated near a vent that comes from the attic, maybe getting enough warmth? But its minus 6 at night now(plus the windchill), tucked right were the wall meets the over hanging roof part. Would like to help it but not sure what to do?

[cloudman75]

Janeylou, I hope some of our more experienced batters will also reply to your situation. I would suggest that you leave the bat alone, just watch it. Also for putting pictures on this site, I use Imageshack as explained by Joe under How do I on this forum. Just take a look and if you have problems like I did just hang in there keep on trying and asking questions until you are able to master the procedure. I still have bats in two houses here but our lows have not been down to freezing and no frost yet.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us This was taken tonight Nov. 26,2010. Double click it and it should get larger.

Frank

[janeylou]

Well, my bat has finally flown the coop!! sorry I never got a picture of him. He left Dec 4. Temperature was getting down to minus 3 with windchill of minus 11. still wondering why he stayed so long and where he went? Anyone have any answer to that? . Hopefully he got inside somewhere, just not in my place:) Thanks for your help:)

[Joe Spencer]

Joe, my big browns seem to stay in torpor during cool weather........from all that I have seen they remain still and quiet and roost in cooler boxes so they don't wake up and burn calories. I've had big browns roosting as late as Nov. 28th and ans early as March 6th.

Thanks Terry. I wasn't specific on the temperature in my last post. It was a borderline temperature of 58 degrees. Some insects were active and the bat emerged and foraged. Although I can't be sure since I have only observed this a few times around this temperature, however there does seem to be slight pattern between these temperatures and a louder audible state of arousal before foraging likely raising metabolism prior to emergence. Since it was a lone bat it certainly wasn't attempting to communicate with other bats. Next year I will attempt to observe this again during the spring and fall with the Big Brown's since I am likely not to have any little brown's again.

[cloudman75]

janeylou,
Why it stayed so long and where it went is anyone's guess. I have one that tries to stay all winter and moves to my attic louver screen on cold nights below freezing. Then when it really gets cold it disappears only to come back later when it is not so cold. Sometimes it is better to let nature take its course and I think you did right to just watch it and not try to assist it. If they are not sick, nature usually will take care of the situation. Now is a good time to plan where to install a bat house and get it up before spring. Good luck,

Frank

[janeylou]

Thank you for responding. Yes, I wonder if he will come back too. I looked on the ground and he isn't there. Maybe he squeezed into the vent, maybe that is why his fur on his back was all flattened out from trying to squeeze in there. But pretty sure he's not in my place.Maybe, maybe , maybe? Who knows? But I will keep watching for him and put a bat house in the woods behind me.
JL