Just discovered a bat

[plowhog]

Saw a bat today. It was in my barn attic below several layers of wood lattice. I discovered it when I moved the wood.

It moved only slightly. At first I thought it was a small tarantula. Once I figured out it was a bat I replaced a piece of lattice over it and left.

I did not touch it. I was wearing gloves while moving the wood. I'm tempted to leave it alone for the winter-- but am curious if there is anything special I should do? I heard they can hibernate for the winter-- it was below freezing this morning but is 37F now.

 

[grsthegreat]

leave it be. i personally thought they leave for the winter. i have them here in summer, they eat flying bugs. have never seen any in winter though.

ive been contemplating setting up bat houses. i like them as they eat bugs.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We had the same thing happen here a few years ago, flying around upstairs in garage when I turned lights on. Next day I was sweeping floor downstairs and thought it was a leaf. With gloves I carefully put it in a 5 gallon bucket. I called the International bat conservation (there is one) and ironically they said there was a bat expert 10 miles away. Wife & I took it, it was her doctor's wife. She said they're supposed to migrate South for the winter but this was a teenage male and you know how they are .
She kept it over winter in their basement feeding it mealworms. They brought it back in Spring releasing it from garage upstairs window.
Bottom line unless it has a warm place it won't survive winter.

 

[ponytug]

It is just overwintering. Our bats come out when it warms up a bit. I am always surprised at how low a temperature they are willing to be up and about hunting insects in because I don't perceive much in the way of insects around.

They seem to really like our roof tiles and metal roof edges to roost in.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It is just overwintering. Our bats come out when it warms up a bit. I am always surprised at how low a temperature they are willing to be up and about hunting insects in because I don't perceive much in the way of insects around.

They seem to really like our roof tiles and metal roof edges to roost in.

All the best,

Peter

Your winters aren't bad. It gets down to zero, even -10F here and "The bat lady" expert said it couldn't survive that.

 

[ponytug]

Your winters aren't bad. It gets down to zero, even -10F here and "The bat lady" expert said it couldn't survive that.

Yes, our winters aren' that bad here, but not that different from @plowhog's. It was snowing this morning here...

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

When we first moved here in '04 we had quite a few bats, and by extension very few mosquitoes. Their population went off a cliff 10 or 12 years ago, I understand there's some sort of fungus they're susceptible to. There has been a bit of a rebound last couple years, but nowhere near what we had before.

 

[plowhog]

Just ran into another one. Under a portable HEPA filter sitting on piece of lumber. It didn't move so I just put things back the way they were.

I'm leaving them alone .... I read if it warms up a little they will become active again and either leave, or change position.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Just ran into another one. Under a portable HEPA filter sitting on piece of lumber. It didn't move so I just put things back the way they were.

I'm leaving them alone .... I read if it warms up a little they will become active again and either leave, or change position.

I think they'll be ok where you are. How cold does it usually get?

 

[Jstpssng]

Funny, there was a time when the natural instinct was to kill them if they got into places we didn't want them. Now most of us understand the benefits they bring, and strive to keep them alive.

Maybe we ARE trainable!

 

[Cycledude]

Lots of them live in my barn, seems like more every year, I put up some bat houses about 30 years ago and think that’s what got them started. I was unaware that they flew south for the winter until it got mentioned in this thread.
But according to this website some bats do hibernate

Do Bats Hibernate?

For bats, caves can be a good place to avoid the sun and winter.

www.livescience.com

 

[plowhog]

How cold does it usually get?

Typical lowest outside temp is in the mid to high 20s. So a little above freezing in outbuildings.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Probably will be ok. Bats are fantastic and misunderstood, they eat lots of insects and pollinate!
I made a bat detector from a kit...easy assembly. The microphone picks up their high frequency sound and converts it down to hearing range. In the evening you hear them "click-click" sound, and tell where they are.
View attachment 774238

 

[caver]

The bat discussion seems to come up at least once a year in here. Batcon is a good source for info Bat Conservation International / Ending Bat Extinctions Worldwide or even your state conservation department can likely help. I stopped caving (cave exploring) back in the early 2000's. You did the right thing not disturbing them as they burn up hibernation energy reserves when disturbed from their slumber. Now say Carlsbad Caverns? Those are Mexican Freetails and they fly south for the winter. I used to volunteer a couple times there every year.

 

[etpm]

Thanks for leaving your bats alone. They do eat a lot of insects. Here on Whidbey Island, which is a little north of Seattle, my wife and I watch them as the sun is going down, twilight, and we can see them dodging this way and that from our front porch. And we know they are eating mosquitos. Amazing that they can see with sound tiny flying bugs that I can't see at all.
Cheers,
Eric

 

[FordnMassey]

Hi,

Nice to hear the support for bats. All part of humans learning the share the planet with other animals and plants. In Australia, you can see them almost anywhere at the end of sunset, if you are tuned in to seeing them.

Just don't share living spaces with them tho, as they transmit some pretty nasty diseases, like Lyssavirus, Hendravirus, rabies and potentially the origins of Covid19.

There's likely to be some truth in the saying "bat**** crazy".

FordnMassey, BVMS (aka DVM)

 

[oosik]

I have two bat houses. One for the liberal bats - the other for the conservative bats. ALL my bats fly south when the weather gets cold and there are no more bugs.

plowhog - leave the bat alone. There may be something wrong with him. This may be why he has not gone south.