I am working on plans for large bat roosts using retired flat bed semi trailers, the trailers can be purchased very reasonably. The trailers would be 48 & 53 ft. long.
The trailers should make long lasting ,low maintance bat roosts.
I would like to place the trailers across streams or dry gullies, possibly place one into a hillside and use cement pillars on the other end of the trailer.
The sides for the trailer would be aprrox. 6- 8 inches high. Sides would be metal, the bed then would be filled with gravel to act as a heat well.I would prefer to use seamless metal roofing to cover the gravel and attach it to the sides of the trailer. If the seamles roofing would be a difficult installionation , I would sheet it and use asphalt shingles.
Under the trailer I would place baffles for the bats using 2 inch wide white oak ,the baflles could be made 24- 36 inches deep. The baffles would be spaced 1 inch apart. Under one end of the trailer I am thinking about using some 8- 10 inch logs with the bark on 3 -4 ft in length. Some of the logs would be placed vertically and some horizonally, possibly draw some tree bats or Indiana bats. Maybe place some rocket type boxes also under the trailer.
I can obatin the engineering service from an international engineering company and get a terrific deal on a crane and operator to place the trailers.
Informatition I am interested in is,
I. If you know of bats roosting under bridges is the bridge completely open underneath or is there a lot of dirt bank under either end of bridge.
2. Is the surface of the bridge gravel , concrete , or asphalt. I do know of a colony of Indiana bats in a neighboring state roosting under a gravel covered bridge. The colony is a nursery colony of Indiana bats.
3. Appreciate any other info of any kind about bats under bridges.
The last 2 years have been experimenting with 3 diiferent designs of bat houses on a large farm silo. The bats have not used the bat houses yet. This year will be do some changing and modifiactions to see if we can entice the bats to use the silo for a bat house. In 2 years if not successful will build a silo around an occupied group of bat houses. Building the silo aound the group of bats houses will be a 3 year project. Will put the silo up in sections so as not to frighten the bats away . I honestly believe it can be done .Baffles would then be placed in the silo and increased as needed. Silo should easily be a bat house for 20-40,000 bats
Have only seen bats under bridges in my area on one bridge but I really have not had time to inspect other bridges. The bridge in question was over a river has asphalt and is completely open. I think it was only a temporary roost tho but it is hard to tell since all droppings fall in the river and can't be accounted for. I hope to get some foam baffles underneath this bridge for which I am redesigning so canoes and boaters won't hit the baffles since bridge is quite low/near water..... Very interesting idea you have there KENT.....
