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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 03 14 Consent 202 Bat Houses in Central Winds Park COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM 202 CONSENT X INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING REGULAR March 14,2005 Meeting MGR r /DEPT I~ Authorization REQUEST: The Public Works Department requesting authorization to install (4) bat houses in Central Winds Park. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Board item is to request authorization for the installation of bat houses in Central Winds Park to help control the mosquito population in areas near Lake Jesup. CONSIDERATIONS: The Beautification of Winter Springs Advisory Board has been researching the beneficial uses of bats to help control the mosquito population without chemicals and the possibility of installing bat houses in select locations throughout the City. Central Winds Park was selected by the Beautification of Winter Springs Advisory Board, and is most agreeable to the Parks Department, as an ideal test site for installation of (4) bat houses that will potentially provide a home for hundreds of bats that already exist in the Lake Jesup area. The bat houses will be located in the wooded natural area adjacent to the amphitheater. . A mature bat can consume it's body weight or at least 5000 mosquitoes per evening and affect an area of several miles. · A typical bat house (condo) can hold 75 - 150 bats at one time. Bats may inhabit a newly installed bat house in as little as 2 weeks or up to several years but are not manually transplanted into bat houses. . Chemicals used to control the mosquito population may be reduced by 30-40% with the presence of native evening bats. . Local free-tailed and brown bats ("evening bats") prefer to avoid contact and do not pose a threat to human safety. . There are conservation grants available for the installation and research of bat houses. Consent Agenda Item 202 March 14, 2005 Page 2 FUNDING: Funding for the installation of (4) bat houses at a cost of $400 for Central Winds Park shall be taken from the Parks and Recreation Department - General Parks Operating Fund. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that authorization be granted to install (4) bat houses in Central Winds Park at a cost not to exceed $400.00; taken from the Parks Department Parks Operating Fund. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE: The installation of (4) bat houses will occur within the next (60) days. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Bat Houses - Why would I want a bat house? COMMISSION ACTION: IBat Houses ATTACHMENT No. 1 Why would I want a bat house? Bats are the most important controller of night-flying insects, many consider to be pests. One small bat can eat up to 600 insects an hour! Most insect-eating bats eat their body weight in insects each night. But bats are disappearing at alarming rates. Disturbance or destruction of roost sites due to development and vandalism is the greatest threat to the world's bats. Most bats living in Florida prefer to roost in mature or dead trees or in caves. However, many bats are forced to take up residence in human dwellings or other buildings due to loss of these type of habitat. Bat houses are a perfect way to get involved in conservation. A bat house in your backyard provide bats with a much needed, safe place to live. They will also do you the return favor of eating insects around the area. You can also help by joining or support conservation groups that protect natural areas and land. This also protects natural habitat for bats. Do bat houses work? The good news is bat houses are gaining some success in Florida. Experience and research are helping us to design and locate bat houses more successfully. Unfortunately, there is no known way to attract bats to a bat house. We can only hope the bats will like it and move in. Bat houses can be as decorative as bird houses and if bats move in it will be fun to watch in the early evening as they fly out in search of insects. Evening, free-tailed and big brown bats will also move into buildings and bat houses. Remember, they like old dead trees and bat houses made of wood can be a reasonable alternative if constructed properly and placed in the right location. Bat houses should be located at least ten foot above the ground (the higher the better) and should be exposed to sunlight much of the day. The most successful bat house in the world is located at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and is home to over 100,000 bats. Most of these are free-tailed bats, but evening bats and southeastern bats are also using this large bat condo. It"s worth a trip to Gainesville just to watch the emergence of these bats! Will bats move into my bat house? There are no guarantees, but it's worth the try. In any case, you will have the opportunity to set the example of providing habitat for our only flying mammal and talking to others about preserving and protecting these amazing creatures.