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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
For the little brown bat—a small mouse-eared bat with glossy brown fur—a warm, dry place to roost is essential to the species' survival. Reproductive females huddle their small furry bodies together to save thermal energy during maternity season (summer), forming "maternity colonies." In the face of severe population losses across North America, summer access to an attic or other permanent sheltered structure, as opposed to just trees or rock crevices, is a huge benefit to these bats.
In a new study published in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecosphere, researchers with Ohio University, University of Kentucky, and the US National Park Service investigate and describe the conservation importance of buildings relative to natural, alternative roosts for little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone's iconic high-elevation landscape provides abundant natural roosting places but not many buildings. The study involved four visitor areas with several buildings that are known to host bold little brown bats, which are among the few bat species that will make their homes in structures that are actively used by people, allowing humans to get up close and personal. Sometimes, the investigation even involved researchers capturing them by hand.
[...]Over the summers of 2012-2015, researchers tracked individual bats in the park. Using temperature-sensitive radio-transmitters, the researchers measured roost preferences and body temperature regulation in adult male and female bats roosting in buildings, trees, and rocks.
Their results show that reproductive females roost in attics in the study area on 84% of all days for which they collected data, while males roost exclusively in rock crevices or trees. It appears then that outside of maternity colonies, adult males and non-reproductive females will roost by themselves or in small aggregations.
More information: Joseph S. Johnson et al, Buildings provide vital habitat for little brown myotis ( Myotis lucifugus ) in a highâelevation landscape, Ecosphere (2019). DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2925
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Thursday November 21 2019, @06:17PM (4 children)
And the downside is guano. Ever been inside an attic that's hosted bats for a few years?
Guano everywhere. Valuable resource, when you have tons and tons of it, but just a nasty mess and a pain to clean, when it's a few pounds spread all over the attic.
How about a bathouse? Something with a removable floor for easy cleaning/recovery of the guano.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday November 21 2019, @06:20PM
That seems to be a much better idea, than just let them chill in your attic.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Informative) by Immerman on Thursday November 21 2019, @07:54PM (2 children)
Typically bat-houses don't even have a floor, the open bottom serves as the entrance as well. You'll get guano beneath it, but you need a big colony before it accumulates faster than rain can wash it away.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Arik on Thursday November 21 2019, @08:14PM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Saturday November 23 2019, @01:20AM
I wonder if you might overdose your plants? I think there's a limit to how much guano a plant can take at once.
Might be an excellent place for a compost pile though.