The document discusses concerns about a proposed location for a bat tower near a neighborhood in Temple Terrace, Florida. It raises questions about the suitability of the location due to parking limitations, increased traffic at dusk when bats emerge, lack of notification to the neighborhood, and safety concerns about potential contact with bats or diseases. It also questions why the project would encroach on existing park land.

1. NOT Opposed to the Bat Tower

2. Chances of this happening in our homes
are extremely high.
Examples of bat infestation:
Infestation of Bats in Roof Tiles
Swarming Bats!

3.  Bats are wild mammals and do carry rabies, however rabies onlyBats are wild mammals and do carry rabies, however rabies only
occurs in about .5 percent (1 in 200) of the bats in a population.occurs in about .5 percent (1 in 200) of the bats in a population.
 Likely to be found on the ground, sluggish and easy for children toLikely to be found on the ground, sluggish and easy for children to
pick up.pick up.
 Children must be warned to NEVER touch any batChildren must be warned to NEVER touch any bat
More likely to be rabies-positive and may bite in self-defense.More likely to be rabies-positive and may bite in self-defense.
 If a bat must be removed by an untrained adult:
Use a coffee can with a piece of stiff cardboard.
Place the can over the bat and gently slide the cardboard
under the can, trapping the bat inside without touching it.

4. The bats normally emerge during a 15- to
20-minute period:
 After sunset
 Before total darkness
 Calm, warm evenings when temperatures
are above 65 F.
Bats may swoop near those observing the
emergence to eat insects attracted to the carbon
dioxide in human breath, however they will not
attack or harm people when left alone.
High winds, heavy rain or cold temperatures
will keep the bats in the house for the evening.
On warm winter evenings, the bats may come
out for a drink of water at the lake and exercise;
however they can eat only when bugs are flying.
Important things to remember
when observing the bats
1. Please do not throw any objects at the
bats or the Bat House or Bat Barn.
2.Avoid making loud or high-pitched
noises, as the bats are easily disturbed.
Parents, please encourage children to
comply.
3. Maintain a safe distance from the
structures by remaining behind the wooden
fence of the observation area.
4. Beware of falling urine and guano as bats
fly overhead.
5. Never pick up a bat on the ground.

5. • When fire destroyed UF’s Johnson Hall in 1987, a colony of bats occupying the attic
were left homeless and soon inhabited the concrete bleachers of James G. Pressly
Stadium.
• UAA decided to exclude the bats from the facilities and build a structure a safe
distance from humans
• The odor and stains from urine and guano and the bats’ close proximity toThe odor and stains from urine and guano and the bats’ close proximity to
spectators were a nuisance.spectators were a nuisance.
• Built in March 1991 with support from the University Athletic Association.
• In September 1991, several thousand bats were captured from the stadiums,In September 1991, several thousand bats were captured from the stadiums,
transported and released in the Bat House.transported and released in the Bat House.
• The following evening, the bats emerged and found other places to live, whileThe following evening, the bats emerged and found other places to live, while
the Bat House sat vacant for more than three years, leaving UF officials andthe Bat House sat vacant for more than three years, leaving UF officials and
many citizens in doubt about the success of the relocation project.many citizens in doubt about the success of the relocation project.
• Bats permanently occupied the house in January 1995 and have raised nursery
colonies in late Spring each year.
• But in 1995 the bats moved in permanently, and the colony continued to grow.
• In 2009, the internal structure of the house collapsed from the weight of the batsthe internal structure of the house collapsed from the weight of the bats
and the urine-soaked wood.and the urine-soaked wood.
• The Bat Barn was built in March 2010 and became permanently occupied in
August 2011.

6.  Called "free-tailed" because the end of the tail extends beyond the
edge of the tail membrane. All of the other bats of Florida have tail
membranes that go to the tip of the tail.

 A medium sized bat (7-14 g) with brownish gray fur. DistinctiveA medium sized bat (7-14 g) with brownish gray fur. Distinctive
musky odor. It is often possible to smell a large colony of Free-tailedmusky odor. It is often possible to smell a large colony of Free-tailed
bats from a long distance away, up to half a block if the wind is right.bats from a long distance away, up to half a block if the wind is right.
 Are strong fast fliers with long narrow wings.
 Can fly at more than 25 mph and are known to fly to an altitude over
9,000 feet
 The Brazilian free-tailed bat is one of the most abundant native
mammals living in urban areas in Florida.
 The subspecies found in Florida and the southeastern U.S is
called Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala. Our southeastern free-tailed
bats do not migrate and are never found in caves

7. It occurs statewide. Forming colonies (fromIt occurs statewide. Forming colonies (from
50-20,000 bats) in man-made structures50-20,000 bats) in man-made structures
like buildings and under bridges.like buildings and under bridges.
The free-tailed bat in Florida commonly
roosts:
 Under the tiles of Spanish tile roofs
 Inside concrete block walls
 In attics
 Behind facia boards
 In chimneys
 Expansion joints of concrete structures like
bridges and stadiums.
They often share these structures with:
 Evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis)
 Southeastern bats (Myotis austroriparius)
 Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus)
 The bats can make roosting sites of buildings regardless
of "age, height, architecture, construction materials,
occupancy by humans and compass orientation.
 most bats in Florida seem to prefer buildings and other
man-made structures over natural roosts.[
 Free tails sometimes roost in different structures in the
winter than they use for maternity colonies in the
summer. Free-tails mate from mid-February through
late March.
 The young start flying about 5 weeks after their birth
and then fly with their mothers for several weeks before
venturing out on their own.
 In August and September, the number of solitary young
bats that show up in or on buildings is due to those
juveniles being of on their own and getting lost.

8. The bats that are found in people’s houses are usually younger bats that have lost their way.The bats that are found in people’s houses are usually younger bats that have lost their way.
They may also be adult bats that accidentally fly through an open window or door.
The first step in removing a bat from your home is to stay calm. If the bat is flying around,
it is not trying to attack anyone, it is only attempting to find a way out. Turn on the lights
in the house so that you can easily see the bat and they can also see you. Next, close the
doors to adjoining rooms to confine it to one room. Open any exterior doors and windows
in the room the bat is flying around. More than likely, the bat will just fly out the open door
or window within a few minutes. Do not "chase" the bat out. It will think you are
attempting to harm it ,and will take longer to find a way out.
If the bat does not fly out on its own, you can wait for it to land. Then gently capture it.
Never try to handle a bat with bare hands because, like other animals, it may bite to protect
itself. If you have more than one or two bats entering your home within a season, you may
have bats living in your roof, eaves, or attic.

9.  Seek medical attention immediately if:
 Bitten by the bat
 Transferred saliva from the bat to an open wound, their eyes, mouth, or
nose.
 In that case the bat will need to be saved so it can be tested to see if it has
rabies.
 For more information on bats and rabies please visit the Centers for Disease
Control website.
 You may also wish to read a webpage about bats found on the ground.
 If the bats become a nuisance, the only long term solution is to perform (or
hire someone to perform) a bat exclusion. A bat exclusion is a non-lethal way
of evicting bats from a building without harming them. If you would like to
learn more about conducting a bat exclusion click on the following hyperlink,
or go to our website library and click on "How to conduct a bat exclusion."

10. Several highly fatal diseases have been linked to bats.
Rabies is perhaps the most well known disease associated with bats. An exposure to
rabies most commonly occurs when a person is bitten by a rabid animal. It can also be
transmitted when the saliva from a rabid animal comes in contact with a person's mouth,
eyes, nose, or a fresh wound.
When a person is exposed to rabies, timely administration of a vaccine known as post-
exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent infection. Once a person becomes infected and
symptoms begin to occur, rabies is almost always fatal. Each year in the United States, up
to 30,000 persons receive PEP due to potential exposure to a rabid animal, including bats.
Histoplasmosis is another disease associated with bats. Its symptoms vary greatly, but the
disease primarily affects the lungs. Occasionally, other organs are affected. When this
happens it can be fatal if untreated.
Caused by a fungus that grows in soil and material contaminated with droppings from
animals, including bats. Droppings, also known as bat guano, can contaminate the soil and
cause infectious spores to be released when the soil is disturbed.
Even though it can be found throughout the world, it is widespread in certain areas of the
U.S. and can be found in places that harbor large populations of bats, including caves.

11. Consider "Consider "bat-proofingbat-proofing" your living space" your living space
It is important to avoid being near or coming into contact with bat droppings.
Precautions can be taken at outdoor locales to help minimize the risk of exposure
to bats and their excretions:
Carefully examine your home for holes that might allow bats entry into your
living quarters.
Any openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch should be caulked.
Use window screens, chimney caps, and draft-guards beneath doors to attics.
Fill electrical and plumbing holes with stainless steel wool or caulking. Ensure
that all doors to the outside close tightly.
Screens or mosquito netting can provide a useful barrier against direct bat
contact.
Teach children to never to handle live or dead bats, as well as any unfamiliar wild
or domestic animals. Tell them to report any contact or unusual animal behavior to
an adult right away.
Most bats leave in the fall or winter to hibernate, so these are the best times to
"bat-proof" your home. During summer, many young bats are unable to fly. If you
exclude adult bats during this time, the young may be trapped inside.

12. Why are we not putting the
bat tower here??

13. Questions:Questions:
1.) Why has the site where the land has been cleared and the pavilion built been
determined to be a poor location for the Bat Tower? We have been told that there are too
many trees around it, but we know that a large amount of trees have been cleared. Plus it is near
the river. Please explain why this location will not work.
2.) If this is going to be a tourist attraction, where are people going to park? The boat ramp
parking area is not large enough to accommodate any more visitors. We do not need S.
Riverhills to be any busier than it is now. At dusk is when the boaters start coming in off the
water. The traffic is bad enough now. If people start coming to view the bats leaving the bat
house at dusk, the traffic will definitely be a problem and a nuisance for the neighborhood.
3.) Is there any issue with the location at the East end of Whiteway Dr. on the river? This
may also be too close to a neighborhood, but at least it would be somewhat more secluded.
4.) Why was the neighborhood not better informed of this location? We feel that if we had
known that this location was even still being considered, we as a neighborhood would have
voiced our concerns sooner and louder.
5.) In this crazy world we live in now, we have so much to worry about and to be afraid of. Do we
also have to be concerned that when our children and grandchildren are at a park there is a
danger, even a slight danger and a man made danger at that, of them coming in contact with a
bat or a disease that comes from a bat? Is this something we want to add to lives?
6.) Why do we want to take away from this beautiful park land? We have so few areas of
land in Temple Terrace where we have open fields and beautiful scenery. Why do we want to
encroach on the little we have left?