New Bat house

Still behind. We actually put up this new bat house over spring break (mid-March).

The Monday that I returned to school was a VERY windy day, and the original bat house blew down. Mr. CC managed to get it standing back up temorarily. The next weekend, we bought and concreted a new post in the ground.

The following weekend, we waited until after dark, hoping the bats had all exited and then took the old house off the original post and re-mounted it on the new post. I won't go into all the little set backs, but it took us about 3 hours. It also took a few days for all of the bats to return to the house. Hopefully, some will decide to move into the new house before the babies start being born, and I have to spend my evenings putting fallen newborns back into the house.

Y'all come back,

Lorilee

Baby bats

Baby bat birthing season has begun. I've been finding baby bats below the bat house for a couple of days now. I put as many as I can back into the house. Sometimes I am too late, and they have already died. My oldest son, Dustin is holding these 2 babies. They are clinging to one another. I really need a taller ladder. I can just barely reach the bottom of the house if I stand on the step next to the top on my tiptoes!

This is the view looking up into the bat house. It is normally much darker, but I used the flash to light up the inside. We have a second larger house waiting to be put up. Hand digging a post hole won't be easy in our "exceptional drought" clay.

I can sum up my evenings after school with watering, weeding, picking beans and rescuing baby bats.

Y'all Come Back,

Lorilee

Sad Bat Story

I walked out of my garage and noticed bat guano on the driveway. That means the Mexican Free-tail bats are visiting. When I looked up, I saw this bat that was stuck. Ants had also discovered it. I got out our extension ladder and dragged my son off his computer to hold the ladder steady while I climbed up to remove the vent cover and free the bat.

The bat's claw was stuck in the screening on the vent. I also had to flick ants off of it. I did wear my gloves to be safe. Sadly, I don't think it will survive. Its wing seems to be injured, and it is very weak. I prepared a box with fabric on the sides for the bat to cling to and a shallow dish of water. It hasn't been able to climb onto the fabric, and I don't think it is drinking water either. I called around for a bat rehabilitator, but there isn't one any closer than a several hour drive.

Y'all Come Back!

Lorilee

Bats Above!

We have house guests! First I noticed "spots" on my driveway. They looked suspiciously familiar. I looked over head and saw my guests. I can't tell if they are the same kind of bats that call my bathouse home. These have decided they like the louvered vent over our garage.

I now take care not to stand just outside the garage door!

Ya'll Come Back!

Lorilee

Baby bat rescue!

The other day I noticed a baby bat hanging on the fence under the bat house. Last spring, I found baby bats under the house every day for about a week. I spent lots of time climbing the ladder with little gargoyle-like baby bats. This one was older than the bats I found last year.Its eyes were already open and it had fur. I put it back into the house two times! I've been checking under the bat house each morning now. So far so good!
Ya'll Come Back!
Lorilee

The Heat is On!

Wow, we are definitely in the HOT part of summer in South Texas. BUNCO was a success. All the new recipes were a hit. Right now I'm reveling in a house that is cleaned up for company. Too bad it can't always be this way. My sister-in-law, Marie, and I were discussing how we have to throw parties every so often so we get the house really cleaned up!
I have had some interest in my bat house. My brother and I have started a second house since our current house is filled to capacity. I am posting some photos below of a bat hanging onto the "landing pad" of the house. The landing pad consists of screening over wood. Aluminum screen should not be used because it reacts with the bat guano. If you look above the bat, you can just see the "baffles" or dividers in the house. They remind me of the panels in a beehive with a bit more room in between. The house should be mounted a specific height and facing a specific direction. I purchased the kit for my first house from Bat Conservation International. The other photo is my brother and oldest son erecting the bathouse on its pole. This requires some muscle since it is quite heavy!

Bats in my belfry!

Actually, they are in a house designed just for them. Several years ago, I became interested in bats. Bat Conservation International is a great source of information on bats. They also have information on building and attracting bats. I ordered a bathouse kit to assemble. We erected it in June. The next January,we had 7 bats in it. Now we have around 200! I am working on a second house to accomodate them. They eat more nightflying insects such as mosquitoes, than Purple Martins. My bathouse is mounted at the edge of my garden. Each spring, I spread the guano around the garden and till it into the soil.
A few weeks ago, we went on a trip to Fredericksburg, Texas. I was thrilled to go to the "Old Railroad Tunnel" which is now a home to Mexican Freetail bats. Watching them exit was a thrill. They looked like a dark cloud. They even show up on weather radar until they disperse enough.
Scroll down to see a photo of one of the newborn bats. I think it looks like a gargoyle!