August 2015 Meeting Notes

Business Meeting                                                   

August 25, 2015

Mary Ann Kurtz welcomed all on an evening with hints of fall. Dues are due in October. An additional field trip has been suggested for Phipps in December followed by lunch. More to follow. 

·        LAGC’s 65^th Anniversary Party September 22—Claudia Hickly covered several items with the group and plans are progressing nicely. RSVP to Claudia.

Other: Mary Ann thanked Rose Mary Highman and Mary Ann for the desserts and arrangements respectively. Marilyn Gurtner had pictures of Phipps Flower Show and the bird banding at her yard. Sarah Graham brought tags and pots to share.  

This Apple Bundt Cake is listed under recipes.

Program

·        Mary Ann introduced Greg Ditmore, Deputy Wildlife Game Commission Officer of Northern Allegheny County, who presented “Benefits of Bats in the Garden.” Officer Ditmore is a volunteer and has a full time job. The Wildlife Game Commission is charged with enforcing wildlife regulations and as well as answering numerous calls regarding deer, raccoon, birds, rabbits, coyotes, snakes, bears, etc. When charges are issues against someone for violating game regulations (e.g., poaching, harassment, fish limits, etc.), officers testify in court.

Take home points:

·        Little Brown Bat (with a large wingspan) is most common of nine species found in Pennsylvania; three of the six migrate southward.

·        Bats mate in winter and the female holds the sperm until fertilization in spring. Only one bat is born per year.  White nose fungus is a terrible scourge on the bat population worldwide.  No answer on how to prevent or cure the disease. The Indiana bat is listed as endangered and protected. It is a “priority species” on wildlife action plans.

·        Encourage bats by planting night-blooming flowers, providing a flyover water source, a nesting box, and limit insecticide use. Bats are timid and quiet and use echolocation to find insects. Enjoy their aerial displays.

·        Bats are not more rabid than other animals, but don’t handle any wild animal.

·        Bats are late afternoon flyers but may come out midday to lap up water on the fly during hot days.  They eat 1/3 of their weight in insects per feeding.

·        They cannot land on a branch as birds and fly outward and up so they grip from underneath and then drop downward to begin flying.

·        If you have a bat in your home, you can call an exterminator. Better yet, wait until November when both mother and baby leave.  Since bats return to the same location each year, hang a bat box outside for them. Make sure to plug up the vents or holes they used to come inside.

References:

·        U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “White-Nose Syndrome, the devastating disease of hibernating bats in North America.”

·        “Bats Around the Home” PA Game Commission (includes bat box instructions), per Greg, excellent project for Scouts.

·        “Indiana Bat, Myotis sodalist” by E. Butchkoski, PA Game Commission.

Next meetings:

September 22 – LAGC 65^th Anniversary Celebration (arrive at 6:45 p.m. program starts at 7 followed by reception). Wear hat and gloves if you like.

October 27 –“Shade Gardening” by Kurt Malecki.  Dues due $15 per member.

No meeting November, watch for field trip notice for December.

 Submitted by: Rose Mary Highman