if that were in the UK, it would have illegal to disturb them, but alas in the US, they are treated like vermin. White nose syndrome is driving bats to extinction...we are going to be very sorry they are gone when the mosquito borne illnesses run rampant.
Ok, not to be obnoxious, but there are a few problems with the above post. This is not the way that bats are usually removed to be sure. However, it is a lot better than certain alternatives. They definitely should have called animal control.
All that being said, here are the problems: White nose syndrome does not affect warm temperature bats, it is confined to low temperature caves and roosts in the more northern parts of the US (http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/maps/WNSMap_10-03-11_300dpi.jpg); these are most likely mexican (aka brazilian) free tailed bats which are not endangered (this link at least supports my suspicion http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/bats.htm); finally the "bats are what keep mosquitos in check" trope is not entirely, they certainly do eat many mosquitos but it is not a primary food and bats prefer larger insects, the truth is that bats eat a lot of both "pest" insects and "good" insects so it is kind of a wash.
I don't think those are quite big enough to be free-tails... It seems to me that the ones I observed at the Congress St Bridge in Austin Tx and the ones at Carlsbad were a bit larger. Maybe little brown miotis?
What's that roof construction method? I've not seen tiles cemented down onto a boarded structure like that before. In the UK they'd be nailed to battens over breathable membrane.
In South Florida for a tile roof there is a plywood base followed by black felt paper that is nailed down, followed by asphalt mopped over the roof for waterproofing. Then tile is adhered by either cement or they also now use a special foam adhesive. The idea is to keep the tile from lifting during hurricanes. I can tell you from experience that even cemented down tile can lift given hurricane force winds. If you really want to know the specifics, check the Miami-Dade County building codes which are probably the most strict in the country for hurricane prone areas.
It might be that the bats were found when the roof was being torn off in the process of reroofing and not that the roof was torn off to get rid of the bats.
Having lived in a (rented) house with a horrible bat infestation, I am not particulary sorry for the bats. Ours had used a palm tree in front of the house as a home base, but in a bad storm the palm tree lost most of its old fronds, and the bats moved into the eaves of the house. Unfortunately for us the landlord wasn't too keen on paying for the expensive extermination/extraction, so we ultimately moved out as a result. The stench from their waste could be overpowering, and hearing their little "scritch-scratch" noises all the time drove us (and our poor cat) quite bonkers!
if that were in the UK, it would have illegal to disturb them, but alas in the US, they are treated like vermin. White nose syndrome is driving bats to extinction...we are going to be very sorry they are gone when the mosquito borne illnesses run rampant.
ReplyDeleteOk, not to be obnoxious, but there are a few problems with the above post. This is not the way that bats are usually removed to be sure. However, it is a lot better than certain alternatives. They definitely should have called animal control.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, here are the problems: White nose syndrome does not affect warm temperature bats, it is confined to low temperature caves and roosts in the more northern parts of the US (http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/maps/WNSMap_10-03-11_300dpi.jpg); these are most likely mexican (aka brazilian) free tailed bats which are not endangered (this link at least supports my suspicion http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/bats.htm); finally the "bats are what keep mosquitos in check" trope is not entirely, they certainly do eat many mosquitos but it is not a primary food and bats prefer larger insects, the truth is that bats eat a lot of both "pest" insects and "good" insects so it is kind of a wash.
I don't think those are quite big enough to be free-tails... It seems to me that the ones I observed at the Congress St Bridge in Austin Tx and the ones at Carlsbad were a bit larger. Maybe little brown miotis?
Deletesorry that should be "not entirely true" instead of "not entirely", my mistake
ReplyDeleteWhat's that roof construction method? I've not seen tiles cemented down onto a boarded structure like that before. In the UK they'd be nailed to battens over breathable membrane.
ReplyDeleteIn South Florida for a tile roof there is a plywood base followed by black felt paper that is nailed down, followed by asphalt mopped over the roof for waterproofing. Then tile is adhered by either cement or they also now use a special foam adhesive. The idea is to keep the tile from lifting during hurricanes. I can tell you from experience that even cemented down tile can lift given hurricane force winds. If you really want to know the specifics, check the Miami-Dade County building codes which are probably the most strict in the country for hurricane prone areas.
ReplyDeleteIt might be that the bats were found when the roof was being torn off in the process of reroofing and not that the roof was torn off to get rid of the bats.
Ah - yes - hurricanes - we don't get them in Shropshire!
DeleteAm I the only one feeling sorry for the bats??
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in a (rented) house with a horrible bat infestation, I am not particulary sorry for the bats. Ours had used a palm tree in front of the house as a home base, but in a bad storm the palm tree lost most of its old fronds, and the bats moved into the eaves of the house. Unfortunately for us the landlord wasn't too keen on paying for the expensive extermination/extraction, so we ultimately moved out as a result. The stench from their waste could be overpowering, and hearing their little "scritch-scratch" noises all the time drove us (and our poor cat) quite bonkers!
ReplyDelete