How prevalent are Bats ?

[bats-n-trees]

We offered to install bat boxes for free for the local bat group last year but they haven't taken us up on it yet.

Hi Paul,

I am a member of both Worcester Bat Group and HAM (Hereford action for mammals )our county equivalent.

As a matter of interest can you remember who you spoke to ?

 

'Over the Hill' Edwards.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I am not in arb as a profession as such (although I split an unhealthy amount of logs) so this is not a qualified question or me saying this is what I do, but how many of you offer to put up Bat boxes whilst up the trees as a way of the customer putting something back in for very little effort and with minimal cost?

 

I would be very impressed if there was a surgeon who offered to do this for me, whilst I know there are some people who just don't care but I bet loads would take you up on the offer if you did it for a reasonable cost.

 

Unfortunately finances dont currently allow me to do so, but in the near future every single tree I work on will be getting one bat and one bird box, free of charge.

 

I would like to re establish a trade also for production of cork oak, and use these instead of/along side the boxes. There currently is no replacement on the market for mitigating the loss of flaking bark habitat.

[David Humphries]

We offered to install bat boxes for free for the local bat group last year but they haven't taken us up on it yet.

 

 

 

 

Was walking in a random North London wood a year or so ago, & came across literally dozens of newly errected boxes.

 

Found out later that a bunch of tree guys n girls, had volunteered their time to install them.

 

 

 

Not sure who payed for them all, possibly local LA.

 

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Edited March 1, 2011 by Monkey-D

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

The best encounter ive ever had with bats, partly due to this being the completion of a theory on certain decay columns, others I have already confirmed.

 

We cant always rely on evidence, and one day very soon fungi will be included in the evidence trail for the presence of bat potential.

 

By the time Im done, trees with certain fungi will be preserved with an overiding factor of habitat over risk:thumbup1:

 

 

 

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

anyone home? all these are iether in use, used at some stage or will be used in the future.

 

lets not see these things with negativity, but as a blessing, they may seem like a mess to you, but to a bat, this is the bishops row of habitats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Canal Navvy]

That is a lovely series of photographs, well done Tone

 

I have seen bats in a dead ash of about 24" D.B.H. with deep spiral cracks. First spotted deep in a crack at head height, later much higher up. No idea on the species (don't know enough about bats yet)

[Stevie Mac]

Hi stevie mac.

The easiest way to know if you have bats in your tree is to stand -or sit as I do in a chair,with either a glass on wine.beer,loved one whatever and watch to see what comes out at dusk.Get yourself a cheap bat detector off ebay and give it a whirl.If you want to be more thorough then you need to have your tree under observation from about one hour before dawn.If any bats are using your tree as a roost then they will come back in the morning and swarm around the entry point ( a bit like bees round a hive-hence the term ).Alternatively contact your local bat club/group and invite them to do it. Your can enjoy your drink ,meet some interesting characters and still lie in bed till after dawn.Ah happy memories !!

 

Thanks for that. When do they start becoming active again?

[kev7937]

I have often wondered how rare they are myself as there seems to be a hell of alot about any evening I fish or loaf about in the garden.

 

Only once in 17 odd years have I encountered them in a tree, in split limb in a beech , don't know the species I'm afraid but the body was about the size of my thumb .

[arbwork]

Can you remmember what species/age of tree for the one on the M40 ?

 

Pipistrelle beech, the good thing was we were able to persuade supervisor of job to leave a couple of habitat trees instead of felling them , have also had 3 other sites with evidence of bats ,1 in Northampton & 2 in Milton Keynes

[David Humphries]

Pipistrelle beech, the good thing was we were able to persuade supervisor of job to leave a couple of habitat trees instead of felling them , have also had 3 other sites with evidence of bats ,1 in Northampton & 2 in Milton Keynes

 

 

Thanks for coming back with that Arbwork.

 

Great to hear that the boss man was accepting of the idea to leave some habitat, hats off to all

 

 

 

 

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