Bat House Forum

[pianomom]

We have a nursery colony of perhaps two or three hundred little brown bats in the attic of the building we rent for business. We don't need the attic, and the bats have been there longer than we have been tenants. They have kept down the neighborhood mosquito population for generations! We usually leave them alone during the months they are there, then go up in the attic when they leave for their winter hibernation out-of-state, and clean up the guano (using respirator mask), which we then dole out to neighbors with gardens.

This year, we have been alarmed at the steadily decreasing amount of guano in the front porch, under their entry/exit place. We have been reading about "white nose disease" decimating little brown bat populations in New England, where we are located. We dread going up in the attic, for fear of finding hundreds of little dead bodies. If that is indeed the case, how should we dispose of them, and is their guano so contaminated that no one should use it as fertilizer? We are horrified by the crashing populations of frogs, toads, honeybees, wood thrushes, and now, bats!

Has anyone else had a similar experience this year?
Pianomom

[Terry Lobdell]

Where abouts in New England are you located? I live in NWPA and so far have not observed a decrease in my little brown bat population. As far as I know there should not be a concern using the guano as fertilizer even thought the bats may have wns......