Turning a Hole in the Ground into a Home Bats in the desert
choose roosting sites that might surprise you. They often roost
in abandoned mines and associated structures. The BLM in
partnership with the State of California – Abandoned Mine Lands
Unit has done many projects in recent years to protect bat
habitat, as well as humans from the hazards of abandoned mines.
These projects consist of constructing bat gates. A bat gate has
openings big enough for bats to fly out and hunt for insects at
night, but small enough to prevent people from entering the
mine. Scientific knowledge of the response of mine dependent
bats to gates has increased over the past 25 years resulting in
the evolution of gate designs from simple round bar gates to the
current angle-iron standard gate. This evolution has resulted in
substantial improvements in the security and effectiveness of
closures for bats. Options include polyurethane foam plugs (PUF)
with a horizontal 48” pipe. This process will continue using the
Bat Conservation Int