It's a great cause. I think Joanie should be nominated for Pome Sainthood because of it.
http://www.pdxmonthly.com/arti.....est-apples
John S
PDX OR
Speaking of the TOC, I helped get a bat house donated and installed for Joanie/TOC last summer. I checked it for evidence of occupancy in October, and bats have been using it (I could see some droppings).
Hopefully a colony will become established, which will consume a huge amount of night-flying insects such as codling moths.
I designed the house, and it was built by volunteers from the Oregon Zoo. They built 15 of them which I have been installing in natural areas from Cathlamet to the gorge, including two at the zoo itself. Here's a news story about them: http://www.oregonzoo.org/node/2831/media
I just got around to reading this. What an excellent and interesting article, and a very worthwhile effort. Those apples will enrich the experiences of future generations.
Over the past few years, I multigrafted my own apples to a mix of historic, or novel, or disease resistant modern apple varieties. Possibly, I will get a chance to taste several more next year. A few years ago I took the HOS grafting class and from that started Sutton's Beauty, which I bore this year. Those were big apples, which were quite tasty, different texture and flavor from the modern types. Maybe next year there will be Granite Beauty, Jonathan (Jonared sport), Newtown Pippin, Baldwin, and Gravenstein. Some were from Fedco and some from HOS scion exchange.
Hi John,
Bats like warm, stable temperatures for their roosts. Moms with babies like 90-100 degrees, males somewhat less.
So they want full sun, or at least morning sun. S-SE would be much better.
They also don't like large branches nearby, where predators (hawks and owls) could perch, especially near the bottom of the bat house.
Thermal mass helps keep the temperature stable. Mounting it to your house is great. Mounting it to a brick chimney is even better, as long as there is a clear "flight path" below. One of the reasons I use slate in my houses is for thermal mass.
I spend a lot of time selecting the best site when placing a bat house on a property. So far it has paid off -- my occupancy rate is about 95%.
I really like the idea of bats controlling codling moth. Do you know that the houses you designed have populated now? A long time ago a coworker reported to me about his apple trees around Vancouver lake that he has never seen (per my descripion of it) evidence of codling moth in his fruit. He did mention he has bats living in a giant hedgerow of incense cedar.
Yesterday I looked at a shopping bag that I had closed up that were full of infected pears September 1. I found 2/3rd had pupated at the upper section paper folds and the rest in crevices of the almost dried fruit. Every one were codling moth larvae still able to walk. This I think supports cardboard wrapped around trunks of apple trees. Second only to a bat population!
This is really a great idea. I've got to figure out how to do this. The nice thing about permaculture approaches like this is that they are easier to maintain and healthier in the long run. The only downside is that you have to figure out how to make it your new normal.
John S
PDX OR
Dave M, I don't know where you are, but would you consider coming to St. Johns, Portland, and helping me with a bat house? I bought one maybe six years ago, put it on a SE-facing wall high up on the house, and waited, but no bats ever used it. I finally gave the bat house away this year. But reading this thread, I'm inspired to try again! with maybe a better house and maybe a better location. Come to St. Johns and look and give me advice, and I'll take you to lunch and be forever grateful. I realize you may actually be someplace where that is not remotely possible or too busy.
Hi Sylvia,
I am wondering if maybe you can send me your address? I can look at your house and neighborhood in Google Earth, then maybe make some suggestions here in the forum so everyone can see them.
I'm not sure if this forum supports private messages, if not you can search for me on facebook, my full name is Dave Miller and I live in Camas.
Reinettes said
davem,I'm really curious: how exactly do you use slate in your bat-house?
The roof and front are slate. Here is one I installed at the port of Camas/Washougal: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TEHv.....OSqEhWMH22
Speaking of bats... (--when I'm at cocktail parties I like to start new conversations like this--), does anyone have the latest information on White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Washington? It apparently has been documented in both King County and Lewis County. Last summer I watched for bats toward dusk and didn't see a single one. Although their calls are hypersonic, is this the equivalent of "Silent Spring"?
Tim
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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