Bat Guano Fertilizer.

[AA1]

My wife is eager to test some of this Bat Guano Fertilizer on part of her rice crop and also on some of her rubber trees (not yet being tapped).

I have said it should be fairly easy to get comparative yield/profit results in 1 season on the rice BUT almost impossible to compare except over a long period with the rubber.

Has anyone already used this on either rice or rubber and if so is it economic as well as benefiting the soil slightly?

Thanks.

[Foreverford]

be very careful if you acquire and apply any of this as it can contain pathogens that can cause illness be sure to have proper breathing and eye protection when applying. choke dee

[IMA_FARANG]

I'm not an expert but I second the warning about bat guano. Bats are known carriers of Rabies, and it is possible that died guano may contain some Rabies virus particles. You DON'T want to mess with that. Rabies is deadly and kills, so be very careful about that.

I remember my father used to use dried chicken droppings/guano for the tomatos in the garden. He told me never to apply it directly to the plants. It was too concentrated and too strong and directly applied to the tomato plants could cause damage to them. He always applied it to the plants only after dissolving it in water to dilute it. He applied it by digging a small hole at least 10 inches away from a plant, then putting the liquid into the hole. That way the liquid would be gradually absorbed into the ground through the soil. He said that was safer for the plants. About once a week or so I would take a can, fill it with the liquid, and put a little into the hole to "feed" the tomato plants...as my father taught me. I'm not saying that is correct, but it is what my father showed me.

Of course that was chicken guano, not bat guano. I agree that i would be very careful with dried bat guano, wear gloves when handling it dry or in liqued form. wear masks and try to avoid breathing in any dry bat guano. Maybe it's overkill, but i would rather be safe than sorry.

Edited June 6, 2010 by IMA_FARANG

[BBbUn]

Hi there AA1,

I'm no expert either, but how about adding the guano to the compost and then using that as fertilizer?

On a side note, I live in Chiang Mai and I am looking for a way to use bats to control the mosquitoes. Does anybody here have experience with building a bat house in our climate, or tips on where to site it or what materials to use? I have not personally witnessed bats in the vicinity at all, but from what I've read, if you build the home and there are bugs about, the bats will come. I don't know if its true but I sure do want to try it.

Paul

[D-MAX]

Be carefull. On bats droppings can grow a fungus wich causes Histoplasmosis when spores of this fungus are inhaled.

Because of this I've got Presumed Ocular Hystoplasmosis which cause a distorted vision in my left eye.

It can also cause Hystoplasmosis of the lungs,which can result in death.

There are no medicines to cure these diseases.

Watch out with children and elderly people.