Post by L Roebuck on Mar 27, 2006 8:38:48 GMT -5
Battling back with bats 
GEMA MARÍA DUARTE
Pocono Record Writer
March 27, 2006
After several encounters with hungry mosquitoes, Philip Kunz decided to eliminate the flying pests as his Eagle Scout project.
"Insects like to nibble on me. They prefer me over others," said Kunz, whose vendetta is aimed at biting insects only.
The 17-year-old Life Scout with Troop 99 in Effort is building 18 bat habitats that will provide a natural form of insect control, one that doesn't require human maintenance — and earn him scouting's highest rank.
He'll place the bat boxes around Chestnuthill Township after receiving a go-ahead from supervisors. The Boy Scout Council also approved the project.
"It's an excellent environmental project," said Supervisor Chuck Gould. "His presentation hit all the points, such as the longterm benefits to the community. He has the in-depth understanding of the ecological system and it's very encouraging to see someone so young grasping the concept. Putting together environmental conservation in a rapidly growing area is impressive."
As Kunz explained to local officials, bats will sleep during the day in the boxes and eat flying insects at night.
"Bats eat approximately their own weight in insects each night. The average brown bat, the most common bat in this area, weighs about 7/8 of an ounce. The boxes I would like to build can readily hold colonies of 800 or more bats. Doing the arithmetic, a single bat colony of the type I would like to build can eat nearly 2 1/2 tons of insects per summer," he told township officials.
"The numbers are staggering. Two-and-a-half tons of mosquitoes is around 16 billion mosquitoes. Of course, bats eat moths, locusts and other insects, not just mosquitoes, but the 2 1/2-ton figure is accurate. My boxes alone could account for almost 12 1/2 tons of insects in a single summer."
The bat boxes will attract a couple of bat species native to the state that are endangered.
"Pennsylvania is home to two native species of bats in serious ecological trouble. There are nine species of bat native to Pennsylvania. One of them, the small-footed myotis bat, is on the Pennsylvania threatened species list. Another bat native to the state, the Indiana bat, is on the U.S. EPA's endangered species list. Bats would enjoy an unusually high level of protection and security in these boxes and would increase their numbers as a result," Kunz said.
KUNZ WILL MOUNT the bat houses on public property to "best meet the needs of both the bats and the township," he said.
Kunz plans to meet with township employees, who will make location recommendations for the boxes.
"A bat habitat is most effective when provided with a southern exposure that gets six hours of sunlight per day, is mounted about 15 feet above ground, is located within a quarter-mile of water and is away from interference by humans," he said.
Kunz will need to finance the $300 project through fundraising and donations — there is no cost to the township. Once he has all the materials, it will take two to four weeks to built the bat boxes. He'll have help from other scouts in Troop 99.
Kunz joined Troop 99 less than a year ago and already has shown leadership skills, said Scoutmaster Gary Raia. The bat box project shows his commitment to being a scout.
"It's an unusual project, but there must be a need for them since the township is up for it," Raia said.
EVEN THE BOX design will be environmentally friendly. Each will be secured with a ratcheted nylon strap and can be mounted or removed in minutes — no nails or screws to penetrate bark or otherwise harm the trees.
The boxes will be made of rough cut lumber on the inside, which gives the bats a foothold for crawling in and out. The outside will be painted in a camouflage scheme to reduce likelihood of human detection.
Bats control insects more effectively than pesticides and insecticides, Kunz said, reducing the need for spraying by township and county employees and local residents, which will lower the level of chemicals entering the environment.
"Once bats colonize the boxes, they return year after year," he wrote in his project proposal. "Monroe County has a vector control agency, which among other things, has concerns about controlling the spread of disease such as the West Nile Virus, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Bats are very effective at lowering mosquito populations."
In addition to insect control, Kunz said the boxes will serve educators and research organizations "by providing known and constant conditions for health bat population and behavior studies."
www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS/603270322
GEMA MARÍA DUARTE
Pocono Record Writer
March 27, 2006
After several encounters with hungry mosquitoes, Philip Kunz decided to eliminate the flying pests as his Eagle Scout project.
"Insects like to nibble on me. They prefer me over others," said Kunz, whose vendetta is aimed at biting insects only.
The 17-year-old Life Scout with Troop 99 in Effort is building 18 bat habitats that will provide a natural form of insect control, one that doesn't require human maintenance — and earn him scouting's highest rank.
He'll place the bat boxes around Chestnuthill Township after receiving a go-ahead from supervisors. The Boy Scout Council also approved the project.
"It's an excellent environmental project," said Supervisor Chuck Gould. "His presentation hit all the points, such as the longterm benefits to the community. He has the in-depth understanding of the ecological system and it's very encouraging to see someone so young grasping the concept. Putting together environmental conservation in a rapidly growing area is impressive."
As Kunz explained to local officials, bats will sleep during the day in the boxes and eat flying insects at night.
"Bats eat approximately their own weight in insects each night. The average brown bat, the most common bat in this area, weighs about 7/8 of an ounce. The boxes I would like to build can readily hold colonies of 800 or more bats. Doing the arithmetic, a single bat colony of the type I would like to build can eat nearly 2 1/2 tons of insects per summer," he told township officials.
"The numbers are staggering. Two-and-a-half tons of mosquitoes is around 16 billion mosquitoes. Of course, bats eat moths, locusts and other insects, not just mosquitoes, but the 2 1/2-ton figure is accurate. My boxes alone could account for almost 12 1/2 tons of insects in a single summer."
The bat boxes will attract a couple of bat species native to the state that are endangered.
"Pennsylvania is home to two native species of bats in serious ecological trouble. There are nine species of bat native to Pennsylvania. One of them, the small-footed myotis bat, is on the Pennsylvania threatened species list. Another bat native to the state, the Indiana bat, is on the U.S. EPA's endangered species list. Bats would enjoy an unusually high level of protection and security in these boxes and would increase their numbers as a result," Kunz said.
KUNZ WILL MOUNT the bat houses on public property to "best meet the needs of both the bats and the township," he said.
Kunz plans to meet with township employees, who will make location recommendations for the boxes.
"A bat habitat is most effective when provided with a southern exposure that gets six hours of sunlight per day, is mounted about 15 feet above ground, is located within a quarter-mile of water and is away from interference by humans," he said.
Kunz will need to finance the $300 project through fundraising and donations — there is no cost to the township. Once he has all the materials, it will take two to four weeks to built the bat boxes. He'll have help from other scouts in Troop 99.
Kunz joined Troop 99 less than a year ago and already has shown leadership skills, said Scoutmaster Gary Raia. The bat box project shows his commitment to being a scout.
"It's an unusual project, but there must be a need for them since the township is up for it," Raia said.
EVEN THE BOX design will be environmentally friendly. Each will be secured with a ratcheted nylon strap and can be mounted or removed in minutes — no nails or screws to penetrate bark or otherwise harm the trees.
The boxes will be made of rough cut lumber on the inside, which gives the bats a foothold for crawling in and out. The outside will be painted in a camouflage scheme to reduce likelihood of human detection.
Bats control insects more effectively than pesticides and insecticides, Kunz said, reducing the need for spraying by township and county employees and local residents, which will lower the level of chemicals entering the environment.
"Once bats colonize the boxes, they return year after year," he wrote in his project proposal. "Monroe County has a vector control agency, which among other things, has concerns about controlling the spread of disease such as the West Nile Virus, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Bats are very effective at lowering mosquito populations."
In addition to insect control, Kunz said the boxes will serve educators and research organizations "by providing known and constant conditions for health bat population and behavior studies."
www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/NEWS/603270322