It was time for spring cleaning of a different sort in part of Lycoming County. College students Tuesday emptied a home for bats filled with guano, or bat droppings.
The bat condo, as it's called, was built several years ago to attract the nocturnal creatures away from a nearby church. Each year it seems there is more guano to remove.
Two Penn College who are taking wildlife management class carefully removed pound after pound of bat guano.
"There's a lot there. I'm not sure how that much got in there, well, I do," said senior Zack Murray.
The bats are hibernating in nearby caves. Soon, they will come back and start filling the condo with guano again. According to Professor Donald Nibert, each year the amount of bat droppings has increased significantly.
This year, more than 70 pounds went into plastic bags. That's nearly 20 pounds more than last year.
"It provides them excellent rookery for the bats. They can move up and down through sheets of plywood inside," explained Professor Nibert.
Until the bat condo was built, the nearby Methodist church had big time problems with the bat droppings.
"They had to cover their organ because of the guano falling in it. They would ring the bell and get bat guano falling on the ringer," Nibert said.
One look at the evidence and it seems the bat condo has been a success. The bats continue to control the insect population and the students continue to learn about the big role bats play in the ecosystem.
"It's dirty work, have it on my nose. On my shirt, in my eyes. It's rough work," Murray added.
Professor Nibert said bats can catch and eat about 1,200 insects in an hour which, of course, leads to the guano.
The bat condo, as it's called, was built several years ago to attract the nocturnal creatures away from a nearby church. Each year it seems there is more guano to remove.
Two Penn College who are taking wildlife management class carefully removed pound after pound of bat guano.
"There's a lot there. I'm not sure how that much got in there, well, I do," said senior Zack Murray.
The bats are hibernating in nearby caves. Soon, they will come back and start filling the condo with guano again. According to Professor Donald Nibert, each year the amount of bat droppings has increased significantly.
This year, more than 70 pounds went into plastic bags. That's nearly 20 pounds more than last year.
"It provides them excellent rookery for the bats. They can move up and down through sheets of plywood inside," explained Professor Nibert.
Until the bat condo was built, the nearby Methodist church had big time problems with the bat droppings.
"They had to cover their organ because of the guano falling in it. They would ring the bell and get bat guano falling on the ringer," Nibert said.
One look at the evidence and it seems the bat condo has been a success. The bats continue to control the insect population and the students continue to learn about the big role bats play in the ecosystem.
"It's dirty work, have it on my nose. On my shirt, in my eyes. It's rough work," Murray added.
Professor Nibert said bats can catch and eat about 1,200 insects in an hour which, of course, leads to the guano.
