Bat House Forum

[cloudman75]

Today Nov. 8 we had temps in the 70s and sun. I took photos at dusk to see what I had left in my bat houses.



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Top photo is 1 Little Brown and two or three freetails together.
Middle photo is Little Browns
Last photo is some Little Browns and some Freetails. If you look at the right side and second chamber up from bottom you can see a freetail with big ears
My little tiny bat was still here in another house. It usually stays all winter in various places depending on temperature. It does not hibernate but does go into topor on real cold days. It flies on warmer days in winter.

[Terry Lobdell]

Nice pictures Frank! I checked my boxes mounted to my home at dusk this evening and I had 4 bachelors in 4 different boxes.......2 of which I'm certain were big browns, the other 2 I'm not sure of........

I always say I have never seen little browns flying in Nov. here in NWPA.......since I am off from work for the time being I will have more time to observe.......

[cloudman75]

Terry, the first bat house photo is the tight warm dark colored one with an attic. There was another tiny bat in the house, but when I shined a light up it went into the attic. You can also see clearly that the attic had a wasp nest in it. I have not seen any wasps in this house recently. BTW, we have had no frost as yet. My bats usually stay until at least the first frost in NOV. Take it easy and get well from your accident.

[cloudman75]

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Little bat with Lady Bugs and Wasps. Bottom photo shows a Mexican Freetail in with the few Little Browns I have left. It is in the left bottom of the photo. It is gray looking bat with big wider ears than a little Brown. It is about the same size of a Little Brown.

Frank

[Terry Lobdell]

I've got a bunch of those lady bugs in my boxes too!

[cloudman75]

Terry, This is the first time I have noticed the ladybugs in a bat box. I can see a lot better with the cedar rough baffles and also the wasps and other insects like it better than screening it appears to me. I think I had one big brown bat in the box on the lower picture. There is a larger bat in the lower chamber.
I get only a few Big Browns here when it cools somewhat. Usually they are singles or maybe two together, no colonies.It warmed somewhat here in the 70
range yesterday so a couple of the freetails came back I suppose. They can forecast weather pretty well. Hope you are recovering OK.

Frank

[Dave Miller]

I've got a bunch of those lady bugs in my boxes too!

I've had ladybugs too:


I shook these out of the house when I had it back home for refurbishment.

[Terry Lobdell]

Thanks Frank, I am getting better slowly......I expect to be off work at least 3 months..........

On the subject of lady bugs, I wonder if they eat bat bugs? I believe these large lady bugs are an invasive beetle from Asia but they are beneficial as an insect pest control species.......correct me if I'm wrong on that.....

[Dave Miller]

On the subject of lady bugs, I wonder if they eat bat bugs? I believe these large lady bugs are an invasive beetle from Asia but they are beneficial as an insect pest control species.......correct me if I'm wrong on that.....

I was wondering the same thing. I have only noticed them in my houses in the winter though, so I suspect they are mainly looking for a protected place to spend the winter. But there could be some attraction to bat bugs too?

[William Bagwell]

Every thing I have read the past 10 years states that the Asian lady beetles are just as beneficial as our native ones. ie, they eat aphids and other small crop pests. However, native lady bugs do not mass hibernate in houses. No idea if the native beetles stink and spit yellow 'blood' but the imported ones sure do. Towards spring when the one that escaped the vacuum cleaner start waking up and trying to find a way back out they will land on you and the little (expletive deleted) bite!

[Terry Lobdell]

Yeah, I've been bit by them.........maybe I should catch a bunch and take them over to my observation boxes (which are infested with bat bugs) and put them in there to see what happens?