Each spring and summer, we get emails from people asking, “We have bats — what can I do to get rid of them?”  Frankly, I am thankful that we get these questions.  It means the person cared enough about wildlife to contact us first rather than going directly to a company that would remove or exclude […]

There was a great interview/discussion on bats on the NPR/Diane Rehm show this past Monday. In case you missed it, here’s the link: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-11-07/declining-us-bat-population Click on “listen” in the left corner – Audio starts up about 30 seconds in so don’t give up on it (like I did at first) – just let it play […]

Bat Conservation International sent this action alert and it’s important enough that we all should take the couple of minutes to take action.  Bats are integral to our lives and our future and are worthy of our resources to help save them: Bats are as much a part of Halloween as jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating. But […]

You may have seen the articles over the last week or so about Bats and White Nose Syndrome.  Researchers have confirmed that a fungus is the cause of the disease.  The Washington Post has a good article summarizing the findings and talking about the issue: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-links-fungus-to-bat-killing-disease/2011/10/25/gIQAbI9OXM_story.html Now, the question is, can researchers figure out a […]

As many of you know, our bat population is being obliterated by a disease called White Nose Syndrome. I received an action alert from Bat Conservation International which is working to get funding for scientists to research and combat the disease. Here is their alert, if you would like to take action as well: Thanks […]

I wish I could embed this video on the blog but it’s not that kind of link so….. here’s the website: http://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination.html This is an exquisite 7-minute clip on so much more than pollination. The presenter, Louie Schwartzberg, asks the question, “What motivates the pollinators?”  Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch offered the explaination, “Nothing lasts […]

Vol. 15 Issue 3, Fall 2010 By Erin Snook Loudoun County is home to seven spectacular species of bats, and they have been the focus of various Habitat Herald articles over the years. Several parks and nature preserves throughout the county recognize the importance of these flying mammals by hosting bat houses on their property. […]

Friends, it’s sad news for our local bats.  I received an email update from Bat Conservation International (BCI) last week and I wanted to share it along with some links with you here. When I first moved to Loudoun, we had bats flying through our yard every summer night. I bought a bat detector so […]

I came across a very well done video on bats and the white nose syndrome. It talks about not only bats and the fungi but also what is being done to try to address the problem before it’s too late. It also talks about the role that bats have in our ecosystem and the impact […]

Vol. 14 Issue 3, Fall 2009 By Leslie Sturges Adapted from Bat World News, Spring 2009 Very soon bats in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions will be making their way to winter hibernacula. Once there, they will swarm at mine and cave mouths in an ancient dance. This is where cave-dependant bats meet, greet, mate, […]