Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Sundowner on April 23, 2012, 03:38:54 PM
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First Bees now bats! :O
Regards,
Sun
Bucknell University Professor: White-nose Syndrome is ‘Unprecedented wildlife disaster.’
With 6.7 million bats already dead, scientists believe the fast-spreading disease called White-nose Syndrome could lead to the extinction of some species.
Lewisburg, PA (PRWEB) April 10, 2012
More than six million bats are dead, and millions more are expected to fall victim to a disease known as White-nose Syndrome, or WNS. First identified in the northeastern United States, WNS has wiped out an estimated 95% of Pennsylvania’s bat population and is quickly spreading across the country. It was most recently discovered in Missouri, Delaware and Alabama.
“This is like bringing small pox to the New World. It is surely an unprecedented wildlife disaster for North America,” said Bucknell University professor Dr. DeeAnn Reeder. Reeder is one of the country’s leading experts on WNS, and one of the researchers responsible for identifying the cause of the disease in 2011. “We can’t stop this thing. It’s marching across the country and we’re going to see some extinction.”......
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9383395.htm
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:O Well time to pack the bags and move to Antarctica
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:O Well time to pack the bags and move to Antarctica
Will that stop or slow the die-offs?
Regards,
Sun
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Critters with white nose problems need to lay off the coke.
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I was considering buying some bat boxes for the edge of my property to thin the mosquito population. Besides, bats are really cool to watch at dusk.
Should I wait and does anyone have any experience with bat boxes?
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I'd go for it, sounds like they need as many different sites as possible. bats are cool :aok
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:noid
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I'd go for it, sounds like they need as many different sites as possible. bats are cool :aok
Bats are very important players in the ecosystem. They watermelon everywhere and make things green. Not to mention they keep the bug populations in check. :aok
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yup, anything that lives off bugs is a friend of mine :D
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I was considering buying some bat boxes for the edge of my property to thin the mosquito population. Besides, bats are really cool to watch at dusk.
Should I wait and does anyone have any experience with bat boxes?
No, the time to get one would be now, before the disease runs rampant in every isolated bat cave and every animal (although it is soon getting there or already to that point if you're east of the Mighty Mississippi). Just make sure the bat box is VERY high up, or they will not settle in, as they will not have a comfortable height from which to drop from at night. I think at least 15' is recommended, but we have one bat box at 15' and bats all around that haven't settled in. 20' should be the bare minimum. Also, if you want to help protect the bats from WNS, you should clean it out every year or so, preferrably in the summer, and at night, when you know the bats are actively flying around and eating. Just some mild warm soapy water and a sponge, washed out with plenty of water afterwards should suffice.
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I propose 60 seconds of silence for prayor and remembrance.
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr149/Rich46yo/Batman_02.jpg)
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I propose 60 seconds of silence for prayor and remembrance.
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr149/Rich46yo/Batman_02.jpg)
:lol
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:noid
:D
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Didnt see many this year in SE Pennsylvania.......we use to sit out on the deck and be dive bombed by the bats going after the bugs around one of the flood lights near our deck.......I think we say maybe 20 this year. We use to see 50+ a night. Just sad
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Well I hope it gets the Fruitbat that shat on my bikes tank and peeled the paint.
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When we go trolling for walleye late at night in Northern Wisconsin, the white nav light on the boat draws mosquitos heavily. The mosquitos draw the bats, lots of them. Its a pretty cool experience to have a dozen or more bats diving and circling around the boat just at the edge of the light. You just catch glimpses of them.
It freaks my wife out, so she won't go walleye fishing with me and won't let the kids go either. Oh darn... :rofl.
I also have her convinced that the cigars we smoke keep the mosquitos at bay. Which is somewhat true, but we still use mosquito repellent. Don't rat me out! :D
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Well I hope it gets the Fruitbat that shat on my bikes tank and peeled the paint.
meh, guano happens ...
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When we go trolling for walleye late at night in Northern Wisconsin, the white nav light on the boat draws mosquitos heavily. The mosquitos draw the bats, lots of them. Its a pretty cool experience to have a dozen or more bats diving and circling around the boat just at the edge of the light. You just catch glimpses of them.
It freaks my wife out, so she won't go walleye fishing with me and won't let the kids go either. Oh darn... :rofl.
I also have her convinced that the cigars we smoke keep the mosquitos at bay. Which is somewhat true, but we still use mosquito repellent. Don't rat me out! :D
You sir are a genius, and if you ever run for public office....you have my vote :lol
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Well I hope it gets the Fruitbat that shat on my bikes tank and peeled the paint.
:rofl
ack-ack
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You sir are a genius, and if you ever run for public office....you have my vote :lol
:rofl It's really kind of funny. My parents own 20 acres on a lake in the North woods. My brothers and sister and their families join my parents and me and my family up there for two weeks every year. Walleye fishing (and cigars) has become a nightly ritual for my brothers, my sisters husband, and I for the past few years. None of the women want anything to do with it because of the bats and mosquitos.
Good times... :D
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When we go trolling for walleye late at night in Northern Wisconsin, the white nav light on the boat draws mosquitos heavily. The mosquitos draw the bats, lots of them. Its a pretty cool experience to have a dozen or more bats diving and circling around the boat just at the edge of the light. You just catch glimpses of them.
It freaks my wife out, so she won't go walleye fishing with me and won't let the kids go either. Oh darn... :rofl.
I also have her convinced that the cigars we smoke keep the mosquitos at bay. Which is somewhat true, but we still use mosquito repellent. Don't rat me out! :D
nothing better than walleye fishin in the dark :aok where do you do your fishing in WI? i usually go on the wolf river in the spring for the spawning run, mostly near Shiocton/New London area. in the summer i like night fishing on shawano lake, lake winnebago, or sometimes we'll make the drive to the petenwell flowage. many great spots here to nab a few "yellow pike"
back on topic.........when we sit out at the campfire at night, just as it gets dark, you can see bats zooming around left and right catching bugs. without bats, im sure we'd be eaten alive by the the wisconsin state bird: the mosquito
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Walleye fishing here in PA is decent, we do pretty good trolling broken back Rapalas.....and or leeches......good times. I think the missing piece of the puzzle is the cigars.......gotta try that out :aok
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nothing better than walleye fishin in the dark :aok where do you do your fishing in WI? i usually go on the wolf river in the spring for the spawning run, mostly near Shiocton/New London area. in the summer i like night fishing on shawano lake, lake winnebago, or sometimes we'll make the drive to the petenwell flowage. many great spots here to nab a few "yellow pike"
back on topic.........when we sit out at the campfire at night, just as it gets dark, you can see bats zooming around left and right catching bugs. without bats, im sure we'd be eaten alive by the the wisconsin state bird: the mosquito
Twin Bear lake which is part of the Pike Chain, about 30 miles or so West of Ashland. For walleye, we troll the south end of the lake from about 11pm til 2am.
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w220/Davis_Andrews/Walleyeground1.jpg)
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I was considering buying some bat boxes for the edge of my property to thin the mosquito population. Besides, bats are really cool to watch at dusk.
Should I wait and does anyone have any experience with bat boxes?
Del,
I have 2 in the yard and the biggest problem is placing them where cats and raccoons cant get at them! Oh and they make abit of a mess with droppings so you may want to consider that. However they do a great job controlling the bugs!!
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Just remember that bats carry a drug resistant form of rabies. A bite wound from one may be a death sentence.
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Just remember that bats carry a drug resistant form of rabies. A bite wound from one may be a death sentence.
The same can be said about any mammal. Rabies is rare in bats, you have a better chance of being bitten by a rabid dog than a rabid bat.
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I troll at night with a stealth electric and little planer boards on my lines, drilled and little chemical nightsticks put in them so's I can register a bite. After a while by watching the light you can tell the difference between your rapala knicking cabbage tops, a good place to be, and a walleye picking at your bait. Remove the front trebel for less hangups and be veeeery, veeery quiet. Electronics keeps you on the edge of structure and deep drop offs and a line counter reel will let you know exactly how deep your lure is going. Jointed Rebel Blackstars were deadly on drop offs. Chartreuse most of all in clear water at night. For a 3rd line you could even run one long, long line. But inline planers will outproduce long lines 3 to 1.
I never fished Twin Bear but Ive seen it. That LONG troll on the east side is perfect for night planering. You want long planer runs over straight structure most of all if running 2 to 6 lines. You outside line will be set to run deeper and your inside will run more shallow. The big thing is quiet. I even lined the bottom of my boat with old carpet to prevent banging cause MR. Walleye has veeeeery good hearing.
When we go trolling for walleye late at night in Northern Wisconsin, the white nav light on the boat draws mosquitos heavily. The mosquitos draw the bats, lots of them. Its a pretty cool experience to have a dozen or more bats diving and circling around the boat just at the edge of the light. You just catch glimpses of them.
It freaks my wife out, so she won't go walleye fishing with me and won't let the kids go either. Oh darn... :rofl.
I also have her convinced that the cigars we smoke keep the mosquitos at bay. Which is somewhat true, but we still use mosquito repellent. Don't rat me out! :D
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The same can be said about any mammal. Rabies is rare in bats, you have a better chance of being bitten by a rabid dog than a rabid bat.
Actually if a bat passes over you and urinates in the air, you can catch rabies from it. Bats also carry a form of rabies unique to bats and it's leathal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies_in_animals
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Crazy I tell ya...come to think of it I haven't seen many bats here in the Birmingham, AL area so far this year. Granted it was a warm March and has been a cooler than normal April so that might have something to do with it.
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Actually if a bat passes over you and urinates in the air, you can catch rabies from it. Bats also carry a form of rabies unique to bats and it's leathal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies_in_animals
You can keep your EBL2 over there where it belongs. And it sounds like you have a better chance of winning the lotto and getting struck by lightning than dying from a bat bite.
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You can keep your EBL2 over there where it belongs. And it sounds like you have a better chance of winning the lotto and getting struck by lightning than dying from a bat bite.
Ok whatever. You go hanging around bat nests all you like then :)
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I troll at night with a stealth electric and little planer boards on my lines, drilled and little chemical nightsticks put in them so's I can register a bite. After a while by watching the light you can tell the difference between your rapala knicking cabbage tops, a good place to be, and a walleye picking at your bait. Remove the front trebel for less hangups and be veeeery, veeery quiet. Electronics keeps you on the edge of structure and deep drop offs and a line counter reel will let you know exactly how deep your lure is going. Jointed Rebel Blackstars were deadly on drop offs. Chartreuse most of all in clear water at night. For a 3rd line you could even run one long, long line. But inline planers will outproduce long lines 3 to 1.
I never fished Twin Bear but Ive seen it. That LONG troll on the east side is perfect for night planering. You want long planer runs over straight structure most of all if running 2 to 6 lines. You outside line will be set to run deeper and your inside will run more shallow. The big thing is quiet. I even lined the bottom of my boat with old carpet to prevent banging cause MR. Walleye has veeeeery good hearing.
That's similar to how we do it. Twin Bear used to be great for crappie too, but in the 80s there was an invasion of a particular crayfish species that decimated the weed beds. Thirty years later and the crappie population has never recovered. Lots of smallish bass and stunted blue gill. We go through the narrows into Eagle Lake for crappie now. Eagle has a different bottom that helped protect it from the crayfish, so the crappie are still plentiful there.
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Rusty crayfish are yummy.
Catch a bunch and let them clean out in clean water for a day or two. Boil them alive and enjoy.
(This is how I do my part to save the weed beds.)
:aok
EDIT: I love bats too. We have boatloads living in our sauna. The only time they bother me is when they run into my fishing line, thus exciting me to thinking I may have a bite.
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Didnt see many this year in SE Pennsylvania.......we use to sit out on the deck and be dive bombed by the bats going after the bugs around one of the flood lights near our deck.......I think we say maybe 20 this year. We use to see 50+ a night. Just sad
What City do you live in Bailey? Im in NEPA, Wilkes Barre/Scranton to be exact :aok
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Sounds like the bats needed abit of thining out.....unless this was caused by some manmade problem...
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Ok whatever. You go hanging around bat nests all you like then :)
You should see this then it's spectacular, even a large amphitheater for watching.
http://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/bat_flight_program.htm
We ride over there every few years watch the Bats and take one of the off trail hikes in the cave.
I hope this does not hit there in NM.
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Sounds like the bats needed abit of thining out.....unless this was caused by some manmade problem...
I don't think it was man made, but it was likely man facilitated. A lot of epidemics are brought about by human trade that unintentionally provides transport for invasive species carrying non-native contagions into populations that have no resistance to the contagion. A human example would be the bringing of small pox to the Americas by European explorers and colonists which then took a heavy toll on the native Americans who had no resistance to small pox.
So the bats do not need thinning out and while man likely played a role it was not man made.
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The Congress Avenue Bridge spans Town Lake in downtown Austin Texas and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. This event has become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas. The most spectacular bat flights are during hot, dry August nights, when multiple columns of bats emerge. There are several points from which to view the event, and an information kiosk is located on the north bank of the river, just east of the bridge.
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I heard a quote somehwhere "Nature hates a vaccum, everytime a species goes extinct something fills that void." If bats go what fills thier void?
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I heard a quote somehwhere "Nature hates a vaccum, everytime a species goes extinct something fills that void." If bats go what fills thier void?
It doesn't work promptly with sudden large die offs though. If something gradually goes extinct it is often because the thing that will replace it is out competing with it for resources. With rapid die offs the hole is sometimes left open for a long time before other organisms are able to adapt and take advantage of the resources that are now abundant and competition free. This is likely even more the case when you're looking at something like insect eating bats as being a flying, nocturnal insectivore take a lot of specialized abilities to succeed as.
In some cases the hole that is opened by a die off can cause a cascading die off. Phytoplankton, for example, serve as the base of the food pyramid in the ocean. Kill those off and a die off leading all the way to the whales would result. That sort of thing can be seen in some of the catastrophic mass extinction events in Earth's past.
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If bats go what fills thier void?
even more bugs :(
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Human are to blame!... yes.. with their cell phones that confuse the bat sonar and... CO2.. yes! CO2 emission from V8 cars. We should all drive hybrids!
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Human are to blame!... yes.. with their cell phones that confuse the bat sonar and... CO2.. yes! CO2 emission from V8 cars. We should all drive hybrids!
Shush now. Adults are trying to have a conversation.
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What City do you live in Bailey? Im in NEPA, Wilkes Barre/Scranton to be exact :aok
About 1 1/2 hrs south of you......Little town called Center Valley (Upper Saucon Township) (near Allentown) were close-ish to Lehigh University.