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Dear All, Aug 22, 2012
While hauling split Poplar firewood yesterday, in a covered tier since
Dec 2010 in the woods, I came across a bat. To judge from the extent of dark
streaks on several split faces it had been using this pile as a roost for
some weeks. This is a first.
[At 6.5 cords/year of 16" long firewood, over 31 years, stored in the
woods at least 2 years in tiers seldom more than 2' high, I have moved about
20,000 running foot-years of potential bat roost].
One bat/20,000' is sparse but for many years snakes or snake skins were
frequently seen in these tiers and this would perhaps discourage roosting by
bats. Recently (since about 2003 ?) it has been an event to see even a
snakeskin.
There was no trace of white on the nose When hanging on the wood it
seemed not as long relative to width as Little Brown Bats do when hanging.
It didn't hang around long after being exposed. When flying it also looked
smaller than the Little Brown Bat.
Three times this year a bat has been in the house, presumably via the
attic. About one entry/decade is normal. The last two sightings may be the
same bat.
About a month ago a bat circled around the bathroom twice while I was
having a bath. Being too tired to evict it, I considered that having found a
way in it should be able to find a way out. Tuesday night (Aug 21) grandson
Erik saw one in his room three times and again I did not evict it; {A 2-L
plastic container and a sheet of cardboard works but it takes time} Tonight
(Aug 22) a fairly large bat flew downstairs and after several circuits of
first floor rooms co-operated by flying into the porch where I could isolate
it and open an outside door; exit bat.
And lastly, a 4" x 4" horizontal surface of an electronic shelter that
is 8' or so (by chance) below a wooden shutter and which I move nearly every
day has 2-5 bat droppings on a regular basis.
So based on these experiences it seems bats are doing quite well this
year. This may be common knowledge but droppings on the shelter surface
suggest that a suitable shelf below a suspected bat roost might be a
convenient (but labor-intensive) way to monitor bat activity.
A second way would be a clean-out design in a bell tower. One of my
nephews contracted several years ago to replace a church bell tower and
found a very deep deposit of bat droppings.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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