Vol. 7, No. 1
(download this issue in pdf-format) In this issue: Regional Collection Centers for Hazardous Waste Build A Bat House? Criteria for Successful Bat Houses

Regional Collection Centers give Iowans an opportunity to dispose of hazardous wastes they may have at their homes or small businesses.

These products may include paints, oil, batteries, solvents, cleaners, pesticides, and other materials that might harm humans, animals, and the environment. The Regional Centers are permanent sites for collection of products considered hazardous. These centers give residents an opportunity to dispose of hazardous wastes because they are available year-round and have set business hours. Also, most Regional Collection Centers have mobile units that travel to participating towns in their service area to collect hazardous waste.

Presently, 58 counties are served by Regional Collection Centers (see map, right). However, residents and small business generators of hazardous waste may participate in a nearby program for a small fee. Residents in the Regional Collection Center service area can dispose of their hazardous waste at no charge. Persons interested in this program need to make an appointment with one of the centers and send a list of prospective items for disposal. Upon approval, the resident or small  business generator can then bring the items to the center at the scheduled time.

For more information on Regional Collection Centers, please call the location nearest you (see following page) or call the Waste Management Assistance Division of the Department of Natural Resources at 515-281-4367.

by Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension Field Specialist/Ag Engineering
Phone: 712-769-2600 - e-mail: sshouse@iastate.edu

In our August 1999 issue, extension wildlife specialist, Jim Pease, discussed the benefits and common misconceptions about bats. These friendly flying mammals can assist efforts to keep mosquitos and other flying insects under control and, as my family has discovered, they are fun to watch as they swoop through the twilight sky. My kids and I love to watch the graceful darting forms zigging over our back yard against the last ruby light of a summer sunset. Okay, so you might scoff at my attempt to romanticize a yard full of bats, but it sure beats swatting mosquitoes!

For those of you who would like to try attracting some insect eaters into your yard, building a bat house might make a fun winter project for the wood shop or basement. I found some helpful hints on building bat houses from Bat Conservation International (BCI). This organization promotes understanding and protection of bats through publications and products. With the permission of BCI, we have reprinted their advice on building bat houses. BCI offers some plans for do-it-yourself bat houses, or you can also check with your local county conservation board office. Many county conservationists also have bat house plans on hand. Due to reproduction challenges, I have omitted the color map of the  U.S. showing summer high temperature ranges. If you want to see the article and map in its original form, visit the BCI web site at www.batcon.org.

Happy house building!

From Bat Conservation International

Design
All bat houses should be at least two feet tall, 14 inches or more wide, and have a 3- to 6-inch landing area extending below the entrance. Most houses have one to four roosting chambers. Roost partitions should be carefully spaced 3/4 to 1 inch apart. All partitions and landing areas should be roughened. Wood surfaces can be scratched or covered with durable plastic screening (1/8 or 1/4-inch mesh, available from companies such as Internet, Inc. at 1-800-328-8456). Include vents six inches from the bottoms of all houses to be used where average July high temperatures are 85 F, or above. Front vents are as long as a house is wide, side vents six inches tall by 1/2 inch wide.

Construction
A combination of exterior plywood and cedar is best. Do not use pressure-treated wood. Staples used must be exterior grade or galvanized. Caulk all seams, especially around the roof.

Wood Treatment
Paint the exterior with three coats of outdoor paint. Available observations suggest that color should be black where average high temperatures in July are 80-85 F, dark colors (such as dark brown or gray) where they are 85-95 F, medium or light colors where they are 95-100 F, and white where they exceed 100 F. Much depends upon amount of sun exposure; adjust to darker colors for less sun.

(Editor's note: Most of Iowa falls in the 85-95 F range, with extreme northeast Iowa less than 85 F.)

Sun Exposure
Houses where high temperatures in July average 80 F, or less, should receive at least ten hours of sun; more is better. At least six hours of direct daily sun are recommended for all bat houses where daily high temperatures in July average less than 100 F.

Habitat
Most nursery colonies of bats choose roosts within 1/4 mile of water, preferably a stream, river, or lake. Greatest bat house success has been achieved in areas of diverse habitat, especially where there is a mixture of differing agricultural use and natural vegetation. Bat houses are most likely to succeed in regions where bats are already attempting to live in buildings.

Mounting
Bats find houses mounted on poles or buildings more than twice as fast as on trees, which are also less preferred. Houses mounted on metal siding have not been used. Wood or stone buildings with proper solar exposure are ideal, and locations under the eaves often have been successful. Mounting two bat houses back to back, 3/4 inch apart on poles, both covered by a tin roof, helps protect from overheating in hot climates. All bat houses should be mounted at least ten feet above ground; 15-20 feet is better. Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights.

Protection from Predators
Houses mounted on sides of buildings or high up on poles provide the best protection from predators. This may be a key factor in determining bat choice. Locations at least 20-25 feet from the nearest tree are best. However, houses may be found more quickly if located along forest or water edges where bats tend to fly.

Avoiding Uninvited Guests
Wasps can be a problem before bats fully occupy a house. Use of 3/4-inch roosting spaces reduces wasp use. If nests accumulate, they should be removed in late winter or early spring before either wasps or bats return. Open-bottom houses greatly reduce problems with birds, mice, squirrels, or parasites, and guano does not accumulate inside.

Timing
Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, but are more likely to be used their first summer if installed before the bats return in spring. When using bat houses in conjunction with excluding a colony from a building, install the bat houses two to six weeks before the actual eviction.

Importance of Local Experimentation
We have much to learn about the needs of individual bat species in differing climates. It is important to test for local needs before putting up more than three to six houses, especially comparing houses of different darkness and sun exposure.

Excerpted and summarized from The Bat House Builder's Handbook, 1996 Revision. (Editor's note: This handbook is available from BCI for $7.95 shipping included, see contact information below.)

This information is reprinted with permission from Bat Conservation International, Inc. (BCI). For more information about bats, BAT Magazine, or membership in BCI, please visit the BCI web site at www.batcon.org or write or call: Bat Conservation International, Inc., P.O. Box 162603, Austin, Texas, 78716, 512/327-9721. For a donation in any amount, you will receive bat house plans and information about bats. Basic membership, which includes a one-year subscription to BAT Magazine, is only $30.

Acreage Living is published monthly. For more information, contact your local county ISU Extension Office.
Editor: Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension FS/Ag Engineering, SW Area Extension, 53020 Hitchcock Avenue, Lewis, Iowa, 51544, Ph: 712/769-2600
Layout & Design: Paulette Cambridge, Office Assistant, SW Area Extension, 53020 Hitchcock Avenue, Lewis, Iowa 51544, Ph: 712/769-2600

...and justice for all.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.