What's the deal? They want me to count all the bats I find in attics and chimneys now? What gives?

I got a letter, oh, scuse me, a "Memorandum" from our Wildlife Resource Commission yesterday. It seems that all the quarterly reports that I've been filling out per their instruction for the last umpteen years are being filled out WRONG. They sent me some NEW repots to copy and start using.

On the bat exclusion report, they want me to record the species and the number to be excluded.

Well, how the heck am I suppose to know? I've done bat exclusions in places where I've never even SEEN the bats, I find their droppings, see where they have been traveling in and out and even heard them squeak and chatter inside the wall. But I'm not gonna start tearing off siding, snatching down shutters or pulling off facials boards to count the bats.

On my old reports I had been writing "undetermined" where it said "Number". If I just don't know and can not count them without destructing the clients house, that may have to be sufficient!

Muddawg,

My .02 would be (and this is informed .02 having had this discussion with several different state/fed wildlife managers not long ago) is
that most of these folks don't understand how/what you do as a bat excluder.

They don't understand that the goal is to move the bats from the structure and if you don't need to touch them or count them to do that
than that is perfect.

I actually fielded a question at a conference recently related to this where I was asked if the average excluder knew how to i.d. bats.

My response is something I've discussed with others including Eric and relates to our need or lack of need to i.d. bats, what it involves
if they desired us to do so as a state/fed agency, etc...

This would be something that upon receiving it I would want to be discussing within my peer group in my state or my national association to address this coming down from a legal authority such as your NC wildlife agency.

If they desire that info, they should be providing the training they would like to see (the state) and furthermore they need to understand that while bat watches can be done and are done by some where possible or needed, they aren't the norm as most folks have to keep moving and identify the locations for one ways and so forth and move on to the next one.

***

If this is a new request and they are pushing it, it is very likely related to WNS (white-nose syndrome) and they are hoping to gather extra information from those who are seeing more bats than anyone else, the NWCO's.

***

Now don't get me wrong, this is a great opportunity to interact and work collaboratively with your state wildlife agency, but they should be gathering up a training seminar or meeting to visit with you folks in the industry and making sure you can all voice how you do this work, why certain aspects aren't necessary and would cost you money time and handling individual animals (something with inherent risk to you and the bats) and so forth.

***

Okay, more like a nickel than .02 but you see where I'm going, I'd be talking to my colleagues and forming a group if you aren't associated with NWCOA or a state NWCO group and going to visit these folks to have a good and productive meeting.

I had no qualms or fights from 6 states and other interested parties at a conference in Boise a couple of months back about why we don't need to know every bat to exclude them, and why we generally don't handle them unless you are talking a bat loose in the house (living space).

***

Again, it was folks not understanding what we do, ignorance is not malice, but unfortunately can breed anger between folks.

***

Reach out, and get someone on the horn and see about creating a great working relationship that might generate leads for you as well
as a guy who desires to help but needs to explain constraints!



Justin

Maybe you "find" zero?

"I see nothink! nothink!" (sgt. schultz!)

Justin this is exactly the topic I hope you can lead on our podcast 21 November 2013 !!

I am glad we have guys in this industry like YOU who have recognized experience in the public sector and now part of the private sector. It is gonna take guys like you who know our role if any as WCO's in the War Against Bat Diseases . My biggest concern legislatures are gonna screw up protecting bats and take us out the equation .

We have always had a problem with the public misunderstanding what we do and Turtleman and Billy have never helped because our work is simply humane with little to no direct human to bat contact and successful.




As far as counting bats I have always encouraged customers to count the bats each night and find it helped later after the bat exclusion and put them at ease and realize no more Bats.

I will be there Robb, I agree about the homeowners DIY bat watch as well and of course those who mentored me suggest it as well.

While I'd love to sit at each site and enjoy the sunset, most of us are heading for the next job, or home if we are lucky, it is important
that our managing agencies do understand and get to know the reality of bat exclusion and limitations. I've met some great folks
from across the country who are part of these managing agencies and many have a very positive view of humane bat exclusion practices.

However, we all can't expect everyone who ends up in one of those roles of generating policy or helping to create new ideas or rules
to understand everything about us, but we can help!

Unfortunately the world series has come to a close. ( Did I say "unfortunately"? ) Anyway, I think if someone would have counted the bats in each dugout, we would have a much more accurate count!

P.S. While both I and my son were much better than average baseball players, I would rather watch "The Young and the Restless", than professional baseball. ( Do not get this confused with college softball, those gals are hot! ) I think, maybe I got off the subject just a tad.

Study: Bat-to-Human Leap Likely for SARS-Like Virus
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304073204579167613127982886

Check out the link David put up this morning, lots of excellent genetics work...

Bats, on a related note Wink, had to learn hard the first two months I advertised online to
avoid certain keywords or combos as baseball related bats ate up some cash!

,,,,,wa has no regulation when bats are in a house/occupied structure....

I don't think this is any better then having to many regulations.......

Surprising our government has not got involved,,,the wco lic dept went for 2 people who understood wildlife conflict, to a office filled with bunny huggers.......

I have been trying to get a special permit for three months........

Vinke, we have the same law and we love it. If we go into a house with a bat or bats flying around, we can legally do whatever the homeowner wants at any time of the year. ( Including things that we might suggest )

This allows us to make the call most of the time. ( Of course we always call Justin first to make sure that no bats are killed or injured. ) Now if only homeowners were protected like bats!

P.S. Did I hear wrong or are they trying to get a law passed that you can find out if someone was killed in a house before you buy it?

It should be made clear that you will have a hard time finding a state where a homeowner can't do what they want within their home (as you'd expect). Even states with NWCO rules and regs protecting bats allow for capture and testing of bats within the living quarters.

I think it is far more important that states regulate and participate in training and collaboration with NWCO's related to exclusion methods and timing the way many do. Though yes I'd prefer that bats that aren't in those situations normally listed by state health depts. be released outside.

1) In a sleeping area
2) In a room or proximity to a baby, child, or someone with reduced capacity to say they've interacted with the bat
3) Obvious interaction without gloves on
4) Interaction with family pet who is possibly unvaccinated

I do understand the precautions companies feel they should take and those that follow state laws to the letter regarding bat/human interaction.

*******

Back on point though, it is not mutually exclusive to protect the homeowner from negative interactions, while excluding bats.

In the cases where bats have only been witnessed on the exterior or within the attic, there is no reason to sell it as bats vs. humans and one must be protected while the other dies.

To put it simply when you exclude bats from an exterior or attic or other type space where they haven't been in the interior, aren't you protecting bats and helping protect the people at the same time?

Of course you are.

*****

The change is coming from the Northeast and will be spreading along with the need to list certain species, this is happening now and will continue over the coming years as WNS fully plays out to show us what will survive and what won't.

There is no reason as professional NWCO's that we can't play an important role in helping preserve the maternity colonies through ethical, responsible, well timed exclusion and public education the way this industry has for decades now.

So lets not make this an us versus them discussion as outside of living quarters, it isn't!

Justin