Responses of little brown myotis to exclusion and to bat houses

Published source details Neilson A.L. & Fenton M.B. (1994) Responses of little brown myotis to exclusion and to bat houses. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 22, 8-14.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create alternative bat roosts within developments Action Link
	Provide bat boxes for roosting bats Action Link

Create alternative bat roosts within developments

A replicated study in 1988–1990 at an urban institute in New York, USA (Neilson & Fenton 1994) found that displaced little brown bats Myotis lucifugus did not use any of 43 bat houses of four different designs and sizes. The four designs tested were 20 very small bat houses (longest dimension <0.4 m, volume 0.002 m², installed 3–4 m high on trees), eight small bat houses (20 x 15 x 15 cm with partitioned spaces, installed 2–7 m high on building walls), 11 Bat Conservation International (BCI) style bat houses (50 x 20 x 15 cm, installed 2–7 m high on building walls) and four large “Missouri” style bat houses (2.3 x 1 x 1 m with partitioned spaces below and an attic-like space above, installed on building roofs). Bats were excluded from five buildings in 1988–1990 due to renovations. Bats were captured and confined to bat houses overnight on 1–4 occasions/year between May and August in 1988–1990 with the aim of increasing use of the bat houses. Thirty-nine of 43 bat houses were regularly checked for bats between May and August 1988–1990.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)
Provide bat boxes for roosting bats

A replicated study in 1988–1990 at an urban institute in New York, USA (Neilson & Fenton 1994) found that displaced little brown bats Myotis lucifugus did not use any of 43 bat houses of four different designs and sizes. The four designs tested were 20 very small bat houses (longest dimension <0.4 m, volume 0.002 m², installed 3–4 m high on trees), eight small bat houses (20 x 15 x 15 cm with partitioned spaces, installed 2–7 m high on building walls), 11 Bat Conservation International (BCI) style bat houses (50 x 20 x 15 cm, installed 2–7 m high on building walls) and four large “Missouri” style bat houses (2.3 x 1 x 1 m with partitioned spaces below and an attic-like space above, installed on building roofs). Bats were excluded from five buildings in 1988–1990 due to renovations. Bats were captured and confined to bat houses overnight on 1–4 occasions/year between May and August in 1988–1990 with the aim of increasing uptake. Thirty-nine of 43 bat houses were regularly checked for bats between May and August 1988–1990.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)