Pipestrelle bats over winter. what food for them.

[ricwine]

We have a bat roost in our loft. The loft itself is felted over . So you cannot see the bats proper. They must be real snug in there. Talking to the landlord and he said the bats have being there approximately 8 or 9 years at least.

They come out of a piece of lead sheet which has a small hole no more than an inch and a half or two accross.

It appaears to be a breeding colony of Pipistrelles. Last August i counted 116 leaving the roost at first dark. All off to feed around the woods in the locality.
And last week i counted 56 when i first took a look after the winter.
They also wiz around the garden at head height if they dont notice you. By standing up against a wall or around a corner they dont sense' you immediately.

My question is do bats stay in there roosts over winter. they are supposed to leave. but trust me they stayed. i saw my last one in early october 09. when there numbers had being steadily dropping for a few weeks. but the droppings outside the exit of the loft stayed all year. that includes the snow. we had 2 bouts of heavy snow here in Peterborough. I assumed there were a handful who had stayed. but maybe even more which is a mystery. and what do they eat ?? over the winter. all thoughts and experience is welcome

thanks richard

[captivebolt]

I can't claim any real expertise here, so I've been waiting for responses from folk who are, so to speak, battier than myself. However, here goes.

Pipistrelles are exclusively insectivorous and can only feed on the wing. They love to feed at sundown when there are midges, gnats, and Ephemerae swarmimg near water. My guess would have to be that you cannot feed them unless you happen to own a reservoir.

Now, if I am pointing out the blinking obvious, my apologies.

1.) All bats in the UK are heavily protected.

2.) Any and all bat species on the UK can carry rabies. I am open to correction here, but as I recollect a bat worker involved in relocating a colony of pipistrelles was bitten by one and died of rabies. Very few vets will have anything to do with bats.

Conclusion? Let 'em get on with their lives, you get on with yours.

Captivebolt

[nightshade]

Bats and Rabies - Bat Conservation Trust
The local 200+ Pipistrelle roost do sometimes move, but last time this was due to disturbance (hammer drill) Standing and counting them in and out they fly all around me scanning with their ultrasound, they are as curious of me as I am of them

[The Woodman]

Originally Posted by captivebolt

2.) Any and all bat species on the UK can carry rabies. I am open to correction here, but as I recollect a bat worker involved in relocating a colony of pipistrelles was bitten by one and died of rabies. Very few vets will have anything to do with bats.Captivebolt

Just to pick up on your rabies statement captivebolt, I've lifted some text from the BCT's website for the sake of accuracy as I think it's important to state that not all species of bat carry the rabies virus or antibodies, no pipistrelles have been found with it to date.

The Scottish batworker was bitten by a Daubenton's bat.

A small number of bats in the UK have been found to carry European Bat Lissa Virus, a rabies like virus. There are two known strains of EBLV: EBLV1 and EBLV2.

In the UK, ten bats have been found with the EBLV2 live virus: eight in England and two in Scotland. All were Daubenton's bats.

Three bats have tested positive for EBLV1 antibodies: a serotine in the south of England and two Natterer's bats in Scotland. The presence of antibodies indicates exposure to the virus.

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency has tested over 9,000 UK bats since 1986 for EBLV and no other bat has been found with the live virus. (These bats have been sent in by members of the public and bat workers after the bats have died from natural causes.)

Further active surveillance research by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage has taken place. Details can be obtained from the Bat Helpline (0845 1300 228).

The discovery of EBLV in bats in the UK does not affect the UK's rabies free status.

Like the OP, I know of bat boxes where Soprano Pipistrelles roost throughout the year. They don't eat during the winter months and torpor but do move and occassionaly come out in the daytime on warm days. I've seen them flying in daylight hours on a warm February day and taking a drink from the river surface.

[captivebolt]

Woodman - thank you for clarifying my position. I did say that I can claim no special expertise! On the other hand, or indeed wing, absence of proof is not proof of absence. WRT rabies in this context so I stand by my suggestion that the best course of action is no action. Leave 'em to it, don't try to handle them, and let 'em go about their business. And you can't feed bats on the wing any more than you can feed swifts!

Captivebolt

[The Woodman]

Ever tried a batapult? Firing mealworms into the air, they do take them!

[captivebolt]

Never tried one, would love the chance. One of my iconic memories is from a YHA tour when I was about 12. I was cleaning up our dorm, I was the weird kid, and I found what seemed like a dustball under my bunk. Hoicked it out, it was a pipistrelle, fast asleep. (this was late December). I cupped it in my hands, carried it outside and all the big fit hearty rooger boogers ran off screaming. There were a lot of pipistrelles outside doing a big-time bug hunt. I held this tiny bat in my hands and it warmed up, fluttered its wings and flew off to join its oppoes. KWL or what?

Captivebolt.

[mycoranger]

My question is do bats stay in there roosts over winter.

Pipistrelles often use the same roosts for hibernation as they do for their summer roost. On Christmas eve I was on the roof of a local school dealing with a roost of hibernating soprano pips which had been found by workmen replacing soffits. From the amount of droppings in the soffit it was plain they used it during the summer too.

They don't eat when they are hibernating but live off fat reserves which they have built up during the summer which is one reason why they are so vulnerable to disturbance in the winter. If they wake too many times they deplete those reserves and can starve.

And just to add to the Woodman's excellent bat rabies post. Even if you are bitten by a bat producing the virus, it is curable if you get post exposure treatment as quickly as possible. This treatment comprises a series of innoculations with rabies virus and in Europe, where the virus is endemic and people are more aware of the risk, there have been hundreds of people over the past 20 or so years bitten by bats shown to have the virus and not one death because they have been treated.

[ricwine]

Thanks for all the replies. The bats colony is getting bigger. I spotted about 60 a few nights ago. They also make quite a racket. Think of a birds nest with squeeking birds. A individual bat is quite inaudible. But add them together and they have a quite high pitched racket. Funnily enough higher pitched than i have noticed in previous years.

[captivebolt]

Perhaps your hearing range is dropping with age?

Captivebolt