Encouraging wildlife.

[Toddy]

No, but I have a friend who did the licenced handler course. It didn't cost her a penny, she did it through the local bat recording group. and the council somehow or other paid for it.

Apparently there aren't enough folks licensed to do the necessary, so if you fancy bats, you could try and find out if there's a free course you could do too.
Just like they have beekeepers who come out and deal with bees nesting or swarming, the bat handlers get called out when there are things like a bat flying around in someone's kitchen, or one that's in need of help.

Denise says she's heard every belfry and vampire joke every told though

Good grief, I've just had a look for a course in your area....£550 !
No wonder there's a shortage of suitably qualified people
https://www.richardgreenecology.co.uk/training/

 

[slowworm]

Funnily enough Toddy I was thinking about the possibility of becoming licenced. I don't come from an ecologist background at all but love bats and small animals so something else to look into. I wouldn't mind becoming a dormice handler as well.

 

[Janne]

Many birds and bats eat flying insects, correct?

So increasing the mosquito population is good? Correct?
A couple of water filled old tyres makes a good breeding ground for them.

 

[Toddy]

Funnily enough Toddy I was thinking about the possibility of becoming licenced. I don't come from an ecologist background at all but love bats and small animals so something else to look into. I wouldn't mind becoming a dormice handler as well.

I think you might find it worthwhile contacting your local Countryside Rangers, and asking them about this kind of thing. I know that round here they're the folks who have all kind of information on courses like those, and that might include heavily subsidised / free ones offered to volunteers.

Best of luck with it, I know Denise enjoyed the course.

M

 

[Toddy]

Many birds and bats eat flying insects, correct?

So increasing the mosquito population is good? Correct?
A couple of water filled old tyres makes a good breeding ground for them.

"So increasing the mosquito population is good? Correct?"
No, just no.

Round here the bats eat moths....you can hear them burp on the bat scanners when they get particularly big ones.

 

[slowworm]

I was going to say you need to encourage moths, or rather their food plants. They do seem to eat mossies but I think most places have enough of those don't they?

We get a lot of insects here, partly down to the very rough pasture we have. There's plenty of decaying veg matter in the fields for things like St Mark's flies.

 

[Janne]

I joked, I know how much ALL of us love mozzies and horseflies!

But I am quite sure bats eat mozzies too. Guess they eat what flies around them!

Bats are lovely, except when they nest in your attic /house. Took me some work to get rid of our 'little guests' in our last house in England.
A couple of evenings observing where they fly out, blocking off, checking again, and so on. Important to block off the holes when they are out.

They do eat them:
https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0g...squitoes/RK=2/RS=PsmqYkzGsEl1y90USwlh3t6IUI8-

 

[GuestD]

I think you might find it worthwhile contacting your local Countryside Rangers, and asking them about this kind of thing. I know that round here they're the folks who have all kind of information on courses like those, and that might include heavily subsidised / free ones offered to volunteers.

Best of luck with it, I know Denise enjoyed the course.

M

in Scotland, anyway, the countryside ranger is where to ask. They'll also give you info on squirrel boxes as well.

 

[Nomad64]

I joked, I know how much ALL of us love mozzies and horseflies!

But I am quite sure bats eat mozzies too. Guess they eat what flies around them!

Bats are lovely, except when they nest in your attic /house. Took me some work to get rid of our 'little guests' in our last house in England.
A couple of evenings observing where they fly out, blocking off, checking again, and so on. Important to block off the holes when they are out.

They do eat them:
https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geK.Tu_LldIbAA811XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEybDAzOWpzBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQTA2MTVfMQRzZWMDc2M-/RV=2/RE=1572498798/RO=10/RU=https://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/blogs/bats-eat-mosquitoes/RK=2/RS=PsmqYkzGsEl1y90USwlh3t6IUI8-

At the risk of feeding the resident troll!

https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/bats-and-the-law

 

[GuestD]

At the risk of feeding the resident troll!

https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/bats-and-the-law

Thank you, and hopefully everyone else will know this as well.

 

[Nice65]

Interesting read.

There is a beautiful wooded/wildlife area on the edge of the town where I now live. The council have been approached by home owners who stay near this area requiring trees to be cut down, because the birds that nest in them make too much noise, and they don't want anymore bat boxes out up either, because they're scared of them.

Too true, much of my life as a tree surgeon and appreciator of wildlife and the habitat that supplies it, was spent removing branches and whole trees that were there well before anyone built any houses on the land. The new inhabitants just couldn’t cope with Sycamore seeds growing in gutters, border beds and lawns.

But I also got to cut down a lot of Leylandii.

 

[Janne]

You try to convert an attic with bats living there. My builder advised what to do.
He put protective cloathing and a dust mask on when he cleaned out the poo.

I guess you guys are holy and obey all laws and regulations?
Or you live in a place not even a bat deems habitable?
If anybody is a troll, look into the nearest mirror, O Holy One!

 

[Robson Valley]

The Government of the province of Alberta, Fish & Wildlife branch, produced some simple and effective plant for bat houses.
Used to be on line. Just attach them high up on the warm (south) side of your house. They fill up with bat families in no time.
However.
Don't expect to do anything below the bat house(s) that you can't tolerate a batshit varnish.

 

[santaman2000]

At the risk of feeding the resident troll!

https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/bats-and-the-law

I remember this coming up a few years ago as well. I never did get around to asking why your bats are so protected; are they endangered?

 

[Wander]

If anybody is a troll, look into the nearest mirror, O Holy One!

Janne, don't be such a bell end.
The title of this thread is ENCOURAGING Wildlife.
But you decided to come along, in your know-all, gobshite, style and talk about DISCOURAGING wildlife.
The title was plain to see.
Just because you can post on any thread doesn't mean you have to post on any thread.
Now kindly go elsewhere and find another thread you can spam with your pointless opinions, please.

 

[GuestD]

Form those who are interested,

"All bat species in the U.K. are protected by both U.K. and E.U. law due to the fact that their numbers have significantly declined over the last few decades. This drop in population is due to the loss of roosts, foraging habitat, and commuting flight lines, and due to a significant decrease in the insect population ."

Exactly what this thread is about.

 

[santaman2000]

Janne, don't be such a bell end.
The title of this thread is ENCOURAGING Wildlife.
But you decided to come along, in your know-all, gobshite, style and talk about DISCOURAGING wildlife.
The title was plain to see.
Just because you can post on any thread doesn't mean you have to post on any thread.
Now kindly go elsewhere and find another thread you can spam with your pointless opinions, please.

Actually the only place he mentioned “discouraging” it was in his house. I love wildlife—-in the wild. But not in MY house.

 

[santaman2000]

Form those who are interested,

"All bat species in the U.K. are protected by both U.K. and E.U. law due to the fact that their numbers have significantly declined over the last few decades. This drop in population is due to the loss of roosts, foraging habitat, and commuting flight lines, and due to a significant decrease in the insect population ."

Exactly what this thread is about.

Thanks. So they are endangered (or at least “threatened”)

 

[GuestD]

Having had a quick scan around the net, it would appear that all western European countries, both EU and non EU, have laws protecting bats and their roosts, and those found to be in disregard of these laws are liable to prosecution.

 

[Robson Valley]

I'll bet the bat populations are doing as well as they can, confronted with epidemic death from White Nose Syndrome (respiratory fungus).
Yet, some people need a harsh reminder not to bother with the bats. Just leave well enough alone.