| Only after
our projects have been reviewed and
approved can we begin to think about our
projects! Bats are most commonly captured
(and then banded) in either ‘mist
nets’ or ‘harp traps’.
Mist nets are extremely delicate nets
made of very small nylon threads. When
placed in the shade they are very
difficult to see (except if you’re a
bat – then you can see them using
sonar that we call echolocation). 
Northern long-eared
bat caught in a mistnet
(courtesy Dr. Clark McCreedy)
Harp
traps are built of two panels of
monofilament (fishing line) in a large
square aluminum frame. In both panels the
lines are strung from top to bottom about
an inch and half apart across the panel.
The second panel (harp) of lines is built
the same way, but we shift the lines so
that they lie between the lines of the
front panel. We then place the
‘harp’ in front of a cave
entrance where we know the bats will
enter or exit. When a bat tries to fly
through the first panel of lines it
encounters, it will turn in flight so
that one ‘wing’ is up and the
other is down allowing it to fly between
the lines – because the second panel
is shifted, it will ‘hit’ the
second lines and then tumble into a bag
that we have at the bottom of the trap.
Because the lines are monofilament, and
not tightly strung, the bats are
uninjured. Here is a picture of a harp
trap that we are putting together:
A harp trap
being put together
(courtesy Dr. Clark McCreedy)
Once we have
a bat in hand, then we start the banding
process by identifying the species,
whether it is a male or female, an adult
or juvenile, and we take measurements
that include forearm length and weight of
the bat. After we have data recorded,
we’ll double-check the band number,
and using a special pair of pliers, place
the band over the forearm of the bat and
close the band enough to ensure that it
won’t fall off. Here is a picture of
a banded Indiana bat:
This is a banded
Indiana bat
(courtesy Dr. Clark McCreedy)
Continue to
page 3 of interview...
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