What the heck is this?!

[Freds]

I haven't been back to my pole barn in a while, at least not to where I was paying attention to things, but the nice weather recently has me outside putzing around more. Yesterday I saw this...
It appears to push the tar paper out just about all the way up to the roofline. Obviously something is living in there and I'm assuming this is their poop. I poked it with a rod and a bunch of loose ones fell off. They are about rabbit pellet size and don't look to have any liquid mixed in, so I'm not sure if they could be from bats or not. They are light brown in color.

Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[Freds]

another

 

[Freds]

closeup

 

[YanmarFever]

My guess would be bats - starlings- swallows. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[billbill1]

Those fake owls really do their job don't they? Mine both have starling poop on them from the birds perching on top of them!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Freds]

So bats, starlings and swallows have "turdy" poop rather than the typical wet stuff you see around on your windshield, tractor, deck railings.....

Bill, the owl doesn't do too bad a job, but I still get some birds that fly out of the pole barn when I go in during the summer. Last year I was wiping more webs off my tractors and they weren't getting pooped on, so it must be keeping some of them away.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'd guess porcupine. I really couldn't see from the picture, but the pellets would be about 3/4 inch long, and 3/8 inch wide. If so, nearby treetops will be girdled where he's been eating the bark.

 

[YanmarFever]

I guess im not a poop expert /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The picture looks like tar paper along a facia board maybe 7' off the ground ??

give us a few more details

 

[AutoUnionTypeC]

If it's round, it's almost certainly not bat guana, which longish and thin.

J

 

[ToadHill]

Only a guess but it could be some kind of fungus.

 

[tom30519]

That's gotta be a porcupine.

Tom.

 

[Freds]

Thanks, J. If it was bat related I was a little nervous about just tearing the tar paper off to see what was what.

Hmmm, more description... well I said they were rabbit pellet size. Around here rabbit pellets are about 3/8" long and about 1/8" thick. These things are all stacked like they've been pooped out of something that is nested above them. I'm no bird expert, but do starlings and swallows nest between paper and wood like is the case? They don't build regular nests ?, or are their nests hidden like these would be? Also, this just occured sometime between fall and now. Don't these birds migrate?

I don't see any girdled trees and have never seen a porky around here, but won't rule it out, though it would have to be an awfully thin one to fit in this space (about 3" out from the wood).

They could even look like some kind of dead larvae, but even magots crawl off when their living quarters becomes undesirable.

I guess maybe my best bet would be to put on the Carharts, gloves, find a scarf to cover my neck, put on a full face helmet and start ripping the tar paper off. Might be interesting /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[norcalmike]

I believe that you have bats. If you stand out there at around sunset you should see them fly out from the opening. Looks like you may have quite few of them roosting in there based on the amout of what looks like poop also known as quano. I had the same problem a few years back under my eaves and I couldn't believe the small area they need to access.

The poop should look like mice poop or rat poop black and kind of torpedo shape. I guess other species of bats may have different looking poop but that's at least what I experienced. Also, don't touch the poop, bats can carry rabbies and can be transfered from their poop to humans if inhaled; This is at least what I learned.

If in fact they are bats let them all fly out at night and be prepared to block the area so that they can not get back in. Good luck.

norcalmike

 

[MotorSeven]

Fred,

Looks like bats too me also. Before running them outa there and sealing up the spot, you might want to build them a bathouse and hang it under the eave of the barn. Each bat eats hundreds of insects a night and a colony of them can significantly reduce alot of harmfull farm type pest insects(not to mention mosquitos). Besides it is kind of cool knowing that you had a squadron of bats housed on your property. I haven't had much luck in the past but i will try and post a link.....

RD

 

[MotorSeven]

Argggg, i know i am "computer challenged", but c'mon...can't get a link from my "favorite places" to drag over here.........Ive done on e-mail no prob. What is different here?

RD

 

[MotorSeven]

Anyway, the link is: www.batcon.org/home/index.asp?

They recommend hanging a sheet of plastic down over the entrance so the bats can get out but not back in. It says to evict them in early spring or late summer. You can Google for a bat house design, they are very easy to build.

RD

 

[scesnick]

Could it be squirrels ? ( sp?) I have seen them nest in some crazy places. The Porcupines we have here are huge. I don't think one would fit in that small hole. Are there any claw marks around the hole? If not I'd guess it had to be some kind of bird.

 

[Freds]

RD, I didn't see this in the FAQS on the link you provided, but do bats hibernate? I'm wondering what the best time would be to get up there and hang some plastic. Don't want to wake anybody up....
I haven't seen any bats around my area light for a while now, but it's supposed to be winter here.

Do you know if the bats will find the houses if I put them in the trees? There are trees about twenty feet from here along a creek. I hate to establish them on my pole barn again in case I decide to side it and add a door. I do want to keep them around, though.

Thanks

 

[MotorSeven]

Fred,

I've done some research on bat houses, and several sites say that during the winter certain species leave a "house" and move into a cave for hibernation. So, they may not even be there now, just shine a really bright light in there in the day and see if you can spot them. . And, you can put houses on poles, just google "bat houses" and you will get a bunch of info. I think predators may be a prob in trees. The house has to be made correctly, or the critters won't use 'em, so pick a design that is proven(some even have a approval from certain Bat organizations.) I haven't built mine yet, but we sit out and watch them every evening in the summer buzzing the pasture for bugs. Some can consume 500-600 skeeters in an hr! Good luck....

RD

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It doesn't look like poop to me. From the pictures I'd guess Mud Martins aka Barn Swallows. They harvest mud and use it like brick or stone building their nests.

They do a number on mosquitos, are fascinating to watch in flight, and are one of natures treats for us.

They're just messy.