How prevalent are Bats ?

[bats-n-trees]

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

High Stevie,

sorry been busy trying to earn. Bats down here will be out and about soon.We start commercial surveys for bats any time after April.We need a temperature of 10 degrees plus during the survey period (one hour before dusk for roughly two hours ).Where you are will be later because of latitude etc.You will have less species up there because of the weather.Your bats will probably be pipistrelles,they can get through a hole the size of the end of your little finger ,although the have quite big wings so look much bigger in flight.Often you can see them flying around in pairs in close formation. They eat between 2/3000 insects each per night ,which keeps our midge situation under control!! I should add that you can see bats about at any time of the year. Lots don't hibernate in the true sense of the word but go into torpor.They reduce their heart rate down to about six beats a minute over a period of about an hour so that their calorific requirements are minimal.As mammals they have to take in fluids every few days so will reverse the process and fly out for water and food.How they know when the temperature has risen and there is fly life around is still a mystery.

Anyway I expect you are losing the will to live by now so I will stop.If you want more info just continue the thread.

[David Humphries]

Again, great info Alan

 

 

Really useful

 

.

[Brushcutter]

Seen a few bats. Seen the Noctules and Dorbentons that Tony saw in the Cancerous Ash. Nice shots of that Tony.

 

Seen a lot of Long Ear bats in some bat boxes as part of monitoring. Seen lots of bats flying around from the Ivy that covers my parents house and lots down by the Kings Weir on the River Lee.

 

Those Other picture in Sallow Copse Tony just of Duncobe Terrace?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Seen a few bats. Seen the Noctules and Dorbentons that Tony saw in the Cancerous Ash. Nice shots of that Tony.

 

Seen a lot of Long Ear bats in some bat boxes as part of monitoring. Seen lots of bats flying around from the Ivy that covers my parents house and lots down by the Kings Weir on the River Lee.

 

Those Other picture in Sallow Copse Tony just of Duncobe Terrace?

 

eah?

 

that kings wier is legendary on the specimen chub scene!

[Brushcutter]

eah?

 

that kings wier is legendary on the specimen chub scene!

 

That broken Larch looks like one in Sallow Copse at Ashridge. Its just down the block of woodland which fronts onto the B4506.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

That broken Larch looks like one in Sallow Copse at Ashridge. Its just down the block of woodland which fronts onto the B4506.

 

nope its in my wood, the whip! its a common failure, torsional force opening the helical grain and POP:001_smile:

[treebloke]

We now have potential Bat roost as part of our site specific risk assessment/job sheet.

 

I have come across many roost's in 30 years, two have caught me by suprise, one in a very large and mature Beech and one in an over mature Ash and both were many years ago and before mobile phones etc.

 

These days there much more awareness.

[bats-n-trees]

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.

 

.

Hi David, The rectangular bat box in your photo is made by the German company Schwegler who make the Roll Royce of bat boxes.They have sold over a million bat boxes around the world to date. Yours is a bat box 1FF and they are around £50/60 a throw, so somebody had plenty of money. They are ideal for pips/noctules etc.The front lid folds down for inspection and they can hold many bats at one time.They can be checked for bats without opening though.Stand underneath with a high powered torch and look up inside.You will quickly see if it is occupied.The biggest danger in bat box inspections off a ladder is not being ready for the unexpected.Mice of all sorts will use them and usually take a flying leap in your direction as the lid is removed!!.Other dangers are wasps-and even more dangerous are big hornets, which I seem to see much more of these days. Looking into the eyes of a hornet from a few inches away while at the top of a ladder is quite an unnerving experience!!.Always take time opening them up as bats can be roosting on the inside of the lids.Also when closing boxes if there are bats inside take care not to trap wings, toes etc.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Hi David, The rectangular bat box in your photo is made by the German company Schwegler who make the Roll Royce of bat boxes.They have sold over a million bat boxes around the world to date. Yours is a bat box 1FF and they are around £50/60 a throw, so somebody had plenty of money. They are ideal for pips/noctules etc.The front lid folds down for inspection and they can hold many bats at one time.They can be checked for bats without opening though.Stand underneath with a high powered torch and look up inside.You will quickly see if it is occupied.The biggest danger in bat box inspections off a ladder is not being ready for the unexpected.Mice of all sorts will use them and usually take a flying leap in your direction as the lid is removed!!.Other dangers are wasps-and even more dangerous are big hornets, which I seem to see much more of these days. Looking into the eyes of a hornet from a few inches away while at the top of a ladder is quite an unnerving experience!!.Always take time opening them up as bats can be roosting on the inside of the lids.Also when closing boxes if there are bats inside take care not to trap wings, toes etc.

 

none of which we should be doing without a liceance i believe!

[bats-n-trees]

none of which we should be doing without a liceance i believe!

anyone can open bat boxes, just so long as there is a suitably licensed person present at the time.Usually done by bat clubs to an agreed schedule. But thanks for pointing out that it is a serious issue !!.Still a novice on the forum you see !!!