Bat House Forum

[IowaNate]

I need help here. My city of Cedar Rapids Iowa was a victim of terrible flooding in 2008. The Health Departmart has deemed many of the flooded houses a "threat to human health and safety". But many of these houses have held substantial maternity colonies of bats for years. The health department doesn't know much about bats or how to safely evict them with minimal casualties.
Terry Lobdell brought this to my attention, and something needs to be done very soon. I contacted BCI, my local nature center, and one of the local media stations. This could mean the death of thousands of bats in my city.

Go to KGAN.com for the short story on this. Please call my local health department here (319-892-6000) and express your concern to have a knowledgable bat person to oversee the safe removal of the bats.

These bats need all the help we can give them!!! I am begging you all to help these bats!

Nate

[Ajai]

Nate this is what I wrote and sent to the City Clerk-

Mayor and City Council:

Did you know that bats live 30-33 years? After learning more about our native bats I have a major problem with the demolition of 1422 1st Street NW in Cedar Rapids. This place is home to a nursery colony of over 200 bats. As a neighbor, my children and I have watched these bats emerge nightly every summer for many years and I am incredibly concerned for their well being.

I have spoken with several bat experts who said that they recommend the house wait to be torn down until September. In addition to waiting I would like to ask that the city consider putting bat houses put up for these bats before anymore houses are taken down. I would like the city to wait until breeding season is over before tearing this house down.

Human fear and habitat loss have driven declining bat populations to alarming numbers. It has put over half of the nearly fifty species of bats in the US either on or in the candidate list of endangered species. Bats, for their size are one of the slowest reproducing mammals on earth. Most have only one pup a year, which sets the regeneration of their species at a very slow pace. Waiting for the bats to leave and before hibernation previous to demolition would be the ideal solution. However, if this kind of schedule cannot be arranged, the best resolution for the city is waiting until September and doing an after dusk demolition. This would give the bats the greatest chance for survival and reduce the odds that of contact between bats and humans. This is the safest solution for everyone.

“It is not recommended by Bat Conservation International, Bat World Sanctuary or any other bat conservation institution that interference of roosts by exclusion, demolition or any other means is done during the months of June, July, and August.”

Furthermore “this is the time of year when the young are born. Bat young are helpless and unflighted and need the nursery colony during this time for protection and survival. If the roost is destroyed, the young have no way of escaping their dilemma.” “If the job is done during the day, the moms face the same death, as they sleep beside their pups and many of the bats who try to take flight and escape may be injured and become grounded. This poses even a greater public safety issue with the possibility of human contact.” I have seen bats crawling to safety after a demolition. I know they do not simply get up and ‘fly away’ as the flood director stated they would in the interview with KGAN. I would also recommend that the health department not be the handlers of the bats. I have been contacted by a local bat expert who has agreed he would do the removal and build bat houses for the bats. I think that it is time we do something right and allow a local bat expert to do what a bat expert does and that is save bats!

There is a solution to this problem and that is to wait until September to demolish this house! I have learned that I have a greater chance of being exposed to rabies by a raccoon than I do a bat! Tolerance and patience is the key here. This solution will help put the city in a positive spotlight with their constituents. This situation can be used in a constructive manner. It can be used to educate the public about the importance of bats in our ecosystem. Bats are the number one predator of night flying insects, the kind that destroy our crops and gardens and consume insects that spread disease. Without the bats, our dependence on toxic chemicals will be even greater. The impact of this demolition would be felt for generations to come!

Every colony of bats is important. On behalf of the bats, I would ask that the city administrators take a deeper look into this situation and call for the delay of demolition at 1422 1st. Street NW in Cedar Rapids or any other potential colony until after the end of August and to see to it that these demolitions are done after dusk. The bats will not be roosting in the building during these times. In doing so, you will offer a win win solution for both people and bats.

Thank you,
Beverly M. Dittmar aka Ajai
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

[Ajai]

WE need bat supporters to flood the City Clerk with letters! Thousands of bats have already been killed here!
clerkfeedback@cedar-rapids.org

[IowaNate]

I encourage all of you to use the email that Ajai provided, at bare minimun just ask to have the house demolished no sooner than September 1st so we have time to provide bat houses for the bats that will be homeless and to make sure that all the babies can fly and survive on thier own. Please inform the city clerk of your state or country of origin so they know that this issue has gone nationwide and even worldwide. We can do this together!

Many thanks for your support of our winged mammals of the night, I never thought I would have to fight like this for America's bats...every little bit helps.

Nate

[Ajai]

http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top ... 3163.shtml

http://www.crsmells.com/default.html

[Terry Lobdell]

Nate and Ajai, I just emailed the clerk feedback. Hope it went through........

Nate, If I lived closer I could give you all the lumber you would would need to quickly build a bunch of boxes. I have about 20,000 board feet of air dried red pine, larch and quaking aspen........one and two inch stock.......all rough sawn, no scoring or saw kerfs needed for baffles.........

[Ajai]

Thanks for writing on behalf of the bats! I figure the more letters we send in (especially from experts) the better!

If we could get everyone here to write a letter to them that would be fantastic!

[Ajai]

http://gazetteonline.com/breaking-news/ ... s=facebook

Great Job Nate! Thank you for working with me to get this done! You ROCK!