Brief History of
Bat Conservation and Management, Inc.

The president of BCM, John Chenger, began studying caves across Pennsylvania in 1989. Drawn to project orientated caving, John actively mapped new caves in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, pursued cave photography, and facilitated cave rescue training. To date, he has visited over 1,200 different caves and mines in the United States, many involving technical rope work. Starting in 1990 or so John began working for the Pennsylvania Game Commission's non-game program and participated in various types of bat and Allegheny woodrat projects.

Bat Conservation and Management, Inc. began in 1999 in an effort to supply homeowners with an alternative to the low-end "nature shop" bat houses. BCM has made available a number different wooden bat houses including a Four Chamber, Seven Chamber, and Nine Chamber version. A Three Chamber (~80 bats) is available today, along with kit versions of both sizes. In 2003 we answered the call for an indestructible, easy to install long term bat roost with the Bat Can followed in 2006 with the large capacity Seven Chamber Steel bat houses, attractive to transportation and other agencies looking for long term habitat enhancement. Early on we helped homeowners solve their bat "infestation" problems. BCM is among relatively few companies that provide specialty consulting and exclusion work with installation of 95% successful bat houses.

In 2000 BCM conducted the first radio telemetry projects aimed at tracking migrating Indiana bats in the northeast. Since then our main focus has been conducting summer mist net surveys, harp trap surveys, abandoned mine investigations, hibernaculm surveys, acoustic recording, and underground mapping. BCM is considered an Indiana bat specialist by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and our projects have spanned the entire United States. To date, Chenger has been responsible for over 700 nights of summer mist net survey. Each year BCM completes approximately 200 to 450 nights of mist net surveys within the May 15-August 15 Indiana bat summer season. BCM has been involved with a major spring migration radio telemetry project each year since 2000 and summer or fall telemetry nearly each season as well. BCM is recognized one of the best telemetry equipped organizations in the country for ground and aerial bat telemetry with Chenger being one of the most experienced Indiana bat trackers in the world. Since 2000 Chenger has been a guest instructor at many Bat Conservation International's BCM and Acoustic workshops, and presently organizes several 3 day/3 night Bat Study Techniques Workshops each year. In 2010 the PA Game Commission released a report on all Indiana bat contractors capture statistics for 2009. BCM was rated #1 in overall number of bats captured per survey using mist net techniques and processed 5,677 individual bats.

Interested in bats and the unique challenges posed by any attempt to study them, John has attempted to acquire, abuse, modify, test, and sometimes invent a number of tools used for bat research. Realizing there was a need to make these tools available in one location, Chenger hand picked the best of the obscure bat equipment to make available on this web site. Harp traps were initially begun in 2003 and development continues today. Mist net poles soon followed. In 2004 SonoBat and the Pettersson bat detector gear was added. The Triple High Forest Filter mist net set was being used in our surveys as early as 2000, and as a testament to the solid design, was offered virtually unchanged in 2005. Finally a useful infrared illuminator was found to work with the Sony NightShot cameras and offered here in 2005. In late 2008 the Pettersson D500x bat recorder was released providing a solution for long term acoustic monitoring. We also began shipping StenLight advanced headlamps, by far the staff favorite headlight in and out of a cave.

Although BCM works closely with many organizations and agencies, we are in no way affiliated, managed, or funded by them. Any view expressed within this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization mentioned in this web site. Additionally, since some of our material is contributed, views stated in our Project Central and forum area may not reflect the views of Bat Conservation and Management.

2009 Dutchess County, NY. Radio telemetry monitoring Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity after mist net capture in southeastern New York. One reproductive female Indiana bat was monitored for 6 nights.

2009 Putnam County, MO. Radio telemetry monitoring Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity after mist net capture in northern Missouri. One male and two female Indiana bats were monitored for 3-8 nights.

2009 Centre County, PA. Radio telemetry monitoring eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii) activity after mist net capture in central Pennsylvania. Two male MYOLEB bat were monitored for 5-7 nights.

2008 Eastern Red Bat Fall Telemetry. Radio telemetry following Eastern red bats in Western Pennsylvania during fall migration. Assisted with the PGC.

2008 Dutchess County, NY. Radio telemetry monitoring Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity after mist net capture in southeastern New York. Three reproductive female Indiana bats were monitored for 10 nights.

2008 Somerset and Bedford County, PA. Radio telemetry monitoring Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii) activity after mist net capture in south-central Pennsylvania. Two male Indiana bats and two female eastern small-footed bats were monitored for 1-4 nights.

2008 Bedford County, PA. Radio telemetry monitoring eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii) activity after mist net capture in south-central Pennsylvania. One male eastern small-footed bat was monitored for 5 nights.

2008 Dutchess County, NY. Radio telemetry monitoring Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity after mist net capture in southeastern New York. Two female Indiana bats were monitored up to 11 nights.

2007 South Penn Tunnel Spring Migration. Radio telemetry following migrating Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) in central Pennsylvania. 11 out of 15 animals recovered up to 15 miles from hibernacula.

2007 South Penn Tunnel Fall Migration. Radio telemetry documenting Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity in the vicinity of a hibernacula during the fall mating period. 16 animals tracked dusk to dawn for 7 nights each.

2007 Chatam, NJ. Radio telemetry monitoring an Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) after mist net capture in central New Jersey. Female Indiana bat monitored for 14 nights and new maternity colony discovered.

2007 Big Darby Creek, OH. Radio telemetry following Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) activity in central Ohio. 1 Indiana bat monitored dusk to dawn for 12 nights.

2007 Eastern Red Bat Fall Telemetry. Radio telemetry following Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) in Western Pennsylvania during fall migration. Assisted with the PGC.

2006 Long Run Fall Telemetry. Radio telemetry following Myotis sodalis in central Western Pennsylvania monitoring behavior during fall swarm. Distance between mine and roosting area was 9 miles. Assisted with the PGC.

2006 Mt. Hope-Hibernia Migration Study. Radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in central New Jersey. 9 out of 10 animals recovered up to 25 miles from hibernaculms.

2005 Canoe Creek Migration Study. Radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in central Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland.

2004 Durham Mine Migration Study. Ground and aerial radio telemetry following migrating Myotis lucifugus in eastern Pennsylvania.

2003 Canoe Creek Migration Study. Radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in central Pennsylvania. Assisted with the PGC.

2003 Woodland Bat survey of the Upper Connecticut River Basin. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 28 sampling sites. 642 bats captured of 7 species. A radio telemetry component studied summer roosts and foraging behavior of 3 Myotis leibii.

2003 Indiana Bat Investigations at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 4 sampling sites. 85 bats captured of 7 species. 6 Myotis sodalis were radio tracked and a large maternity roost discovered in a nearby barn.

2002 Barton Hill Mine Myotis Sodalis Tracking Project. Ground and aerial radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in northeastern New York. Assisted with NYDEC.

2001 Williams Lake Myotis Sodalis Tracking Project. Ground and aerial radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in southern New York.

2000 South Penn Tunnel Myotis Sodalis Tracking Project. Ground and aerial radio telemetry following migrating Myotis sodalis in southern Pennsylvania.

Abandoned Mine Surveys

Clearfield and Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. 21 abandoned mine features and 2 abandoned mine structures were assessed for potential Indiana bat usage. Suitable sites were then sampled using harp traps, mist nets, and/or acoustic recorders.

West Virginia Cave Hibernacula Assessments. 26 caves and mines investigated for historic sign and present day bat use.

Kentucky Cave Hibernacula Assessments. 25 caves and mines investigated for historic sign and present day bat use.

Peters Mine Bat Use Investigation. Mine entrance compilation with two winter internal surveys.

Fayette County, Pennsylvania. 8 cave entrances were assessed for potential Indiana bat usage using a combination of acoustic recorders and harp traps.

Corridor O Abandoned Mine Survey. 115 abandoned mine entrances were assessed for potential Indiana bat usage. Suitable sites were then sampled using harp traps or mist nets, or recorded with night vision equipment.

Salisbury, Pennsylvania. 28 abandoned mine entrances were assessed for potential Indiana bat usage. 4 suitable sites were sampled using harp traps.

Valley View Business Park, Pennsylvania. 40 abandoned mine entrances were assessed for Indiana bat usage. 18 sites were sampled using harp traps.

Audubon Mill Grove Copper Mine. ACCA bat-friendly gates were installed on 2 horizontal adits.

Fern Cave Gate, Lava Beds National Monument. Vertical shaft covered using unique custom design for plant resources.

Roxbury Mine Gate. Assisted in constructing six ACCA approved gates on separate vertical shafts and adits using 40,000 pounds of steel over a total period of less than three weeks.

Elizabeth Mine Bat Use Investigation. Mine entrance compilation and 4 nights of sampling. 842 bats captured of 3 species.

Mist Net/Acoustic Surveys

Putnam County, MO. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 14 sites. 168 captures of 7 species, including Indiana bats.

Morris County, NJ. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sites. 8 captures of 1 species.

Morris County, NJ. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 20 captures of 4 species.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sites. 9 captures of 4 species, including Indiana bats.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sites. 5 captures of 2 species.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 10 captures of 3 species.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 11 captures of 4 species.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 8 sampling sites, 112 bats consisting of 7 species, including Indiana bats.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 48 captures of 4 species, including Indiana bats.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 18 captures of 5 species, including Indiana bats.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 13 captures of 2 species including Indiana bats.

Dutchess County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 106 captures of 6 species including Indiana bats.

Orange County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 48 captures of 4 species.

Putnam County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 12 captures of 4 species.

Putnam County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 15 captures of 4 species.

Putnam County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 35 captures of 3 species.

Rockland County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites, 11 captures of 4 species.

Ulster County, NY. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 30 captures of 5 species.

Adams County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 4 sampling sites. 12 captures of 3 species.

Bedford County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 5 sampling sites, 23 captures of 5 species.

Bedford County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 7 sampling sites. 201 captures of 4 species.

Bedford County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 27 sampling sites. 388 captures of 7 species.

Bedford and Somerset County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 21 sampling sites, 228 captures of 7 species, including Indiana bats.

Berks County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 6 sampling sites. 43 captures of 4 species.

Blair County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 11 sampling sites, 198 captures of 6 species.

Blair and Centre County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 21 sites. 256 captures of 5 species.

Cambria County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 8 sampling sites. 250 captures of 4 species.

Centre County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 7 sites. 75 captures of 5 species, including eastern small-footed bats.

Clearfield County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 36 sampling sites. 410 captures of 6 species.

Columbia and Luzerne County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 35 sites. 239 captures of 5 species.

Dauphin County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 9 sampling sites, 533 captures of 7 species.

Fayette County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 14 sites. 88 captures of 5 species.

Fayette County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 10 sampling sites. 138 captures of 4 species.

Huntingdon County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 50 sites. 472 captures of 7 species.

Pike County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 7 sites. 35 captures of 4 species.

Schuylkill County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 28 sites. 296 captures of 5 species.

Schuylkill County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 13 sampling sites, 255 captures of 4 species.

Somerset County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 3 sampling sites, 33 captures of 4 species.

Union and Northumberland County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 6 sites. 195 captures of 5 species.

Wayne County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 16 sampling sites. 193 captures of 5 species.

Wayne County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 23 captures of 4 species.

Addison County, VT. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 8 sampling sites. 184 captures of 5 species.

Jefferson County, WV. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 7 sampling sites. 123 captures of 7 species.

Logan County, WV. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 3 sampling sites. 44 captures of 5 species.

Monongalia and Preston County, WV. Fayette County, PA. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 77 sampling sites, 624 captures of 8 species.

Pendleton County, WV. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sites. 23 captures of 5 species.

Preston County, WV. Spring, summer, and fall Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 24 sampling sites. 222 captures of 7 species.

Preston County, WV. Summer and fall Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 22 sampling sites. 218 captures of 8 species.

Preston County, WV. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 11 sampling sites, 85 captures of 7 species.

Preston County, WV. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 8 sampling sites. 125 captures of 5 species.

Des Moines County Conservation. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 3 sampling sites. 54 captures of 5 species, including Indiana bats.

Duke Energy. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 25 sampling sites. 424 captures of 7 species, including Indiana bats.

Mid-American Energy. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 4 sampling sites. 74 captures of 7 species including Indiana bats.

Independance Pipeline PA Section. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 70 sampling sites. 673 captures of 7 species.

Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 10 sampling sites. 187 bats captured of 6 species.

Route 9 Charles Town to VA Line. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 6 sampling sites. 60 bat captures of 4 species.

Martinsburg Route 9 Bypass. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 10 sampling sites. 72 bats captured of 5 species.

Kanawha River Survey. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 32 sampling sites. 249 bats captured of 6 species.

West Virginia Route 10. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 14 sampling sites. 97 bats captured of 6 species.

Woodland Bat Survey in New Hampshire. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 11 sampling sites. 202 bats captured of 4 species.

Woodland Bat Survey at the Casselman River Wind Project. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 6 sampling sites. 170 bats captured of 7 species.

Woodland Bat Survey along Columbia Gas Line 1275. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 22 sampling sites. 800 bats captured of 7 species.

Woodland Bat Survey at Fort Indiantown Gap. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 12 sampling sites. 197 bats captured of 5 species.

Woodland Bat Survey in the White Mountains National Forest. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 8 sampling sites. 233 bats captured of 6 species.

Woodland Bat Survey at Prattsburgh/Italy, New York. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 10 sampling sites. 101 bats captured of 5 species.

Woodland Bat Survey in the Resource Recovery Landfill. Summer Indiana bat netting effort consisting of 4 sampling sites. 97 bats captured of 4 species.

Woodland Bat Survey along CWP Item 1 Section 32. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 23 bats captured of 5 species.

Woodland Bat Survey in the Finger Lakes National Forest. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 6 sampling sites. 128 bats captured of 6 species.

Woodland Bat Survey in the Woodland Acres Project. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 15 bats captured of 3 species.

Woodland Bat Survey at the Sugar Grove Naval Station. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 46 bats captured of 6 species.

Acoustic Monitoring

2009 Somerset County, PA Spring/Fall long term acoustic monitoring

2009 Blair County, PA Summer/Fall long term acoustic monitoring

Acoustic Montoring at Pine Hill, New York. Spring, Summer and Fall acoustic monitoring at up to 8 stations simultaneously.

Acoustic Montoring at Bear Creek, Pennsylvania. Fall acoustic monitoring at 3 stations simultaneously.

Allegheny Woodrat Surveys

2009 Clearfield County, PA. Woodrat habitat survey.

2009 Fayette County, PA. Radio telemetry monitoring Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) activity after capture in southwestern Pennsylvania. Four reproductive woodrats (three females and one male) were monitored for 4 weeks.

2009 Fayette County, PA. Woodrat habitat survey.

2009 Clearfield County, PA. Woodrat habitat survey.

2008 Fayette County, PA. Woodrat habitat survey and mapping.

2007 Bedford County, PA. Woodrat habitat survey.

Bat Workshops

2009 Bat Study Techniques, Laurel Caverns, PA. Organized by Bat Conservation and Management and Bat Conservation International.

2009 Bat Study Techniques, Great Swamp NWR, NJ. Organized by Bat Conservation and Management and Bat Conservation International. Summer Indiana bat mist net effort consisting of 3 sampling sites. 7 captures of 3 species.

2009 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.

2009 Metro Parks Bat Workshop, OH. Guest instructor
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2009 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Portal, AZ. Staff instructor.

2008 Bat Study Techniques, Shawnee State Park, PA. Organized by Bat Conservation and Management and Bat Conservation International. Summer Indiana bat mist net effort consisting of 7 sampling sites. 59 captures of 4 species.

2008 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Tule Lake, CA. Staff instructor.

2008 BCI Acoustic Monitoring Workshop, Tule Lake, CA. Staff instructor.

2007 BCI Acoustic Monitoring Workshop, Mammoth Cave, KY. Staff instructor.

2007 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Mammoth Cave, KY. Staff instructor.

2007 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.

2006 Great Swamp NWR, NJ. Organized by Bat Conservation and Management. Summer Indiana bat mist netting effort consisting of 2 sampling sites. 40 captures of 4 species including Indiana bats.

2006 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.

2006 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Mammoth Cave, KY. Staff instructor.

2005 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.

2005 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Portal, AZ. Staff instructor.

2005 BCI Acoustic Monitoring Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.

2004 BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop, Barree, PA. Staff instructor.