Bat guano as fertilizer??

binarysunrise · Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:00 am

So my parents house has a thriving colony of bats, and I have noticed that there is a large pile of bat guano underneath one of their attic windows. They recently asked me if there was any use for it, such as fertilizer for the garden.

So, my questions are:
a) Is the composition of bat guano such that it would work as a fertilizer for a vegetable garden?

b) If so, is there any health risk to using it?

Jess · Sun Aug 26, 2007 4:31 pm

Hi

Guano is a wonderful fertilizer for the veg or any other garden. It was so highly prized by the Incas that there was a penalty of DEATH! for anyone found killing a bat.
It has an excellent NPK value and several trace elements...BUT...it is possible to contract a rather nasty disease so you will need a mask and gloves to collect it.
Once on your veg patch it won't really cause a problem. Just dig it in well in the months that your vege patch is idle so any nasties can be broken down and make the most of a free valuable fertilizer!

pixelphoto · Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:14 pm

womens lip stick is also made from it along with other makeup products. But it doesnt make me wanna go out and kiss a bat butt LOL

Jess · Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:54 pm

pixelphoto wrote:womens lip stick is also made from it along with other makeup products.

Well you learn something new everyday!

But it doesnt make me wanna go out and kiss a bat LOL

mortgage lifter · Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:43 pm

First time folks Bat guano is considered the no. one fertilizer. Like Jess said though, it is bad to breathe in large amounts. I would like to put a bat house next to my garden, but my wife is not to keen on it.Plus look at all the mosq. they would eat.

opabinia51 · Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:58 pm

Bat Guano is very high in Nitrates and if added directly to crops can burn them. (As would chicken manure) So, it's best to add with leaves or compost with leaves before adding it to the garden.

Grey · Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:28 pm

Opa, what if the guano were added to a bucket of water and let sit for a few weeks, making bat guano tea for the plants - would that sufficiently dilute it?

opabinia51 · Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:30 am

If it were just added to a bucket of water it would go anoxic and smell really really bad. This would be indicative of anaerobic bacteria (bad, don't want) living in the bucket. However, if one were to purchase a small air pump and bubbling the bucket for say five days..... boom! BOB IS YOUR UNCLE.

Use as a foliar spray and as a general fertilizer.

I often recommend using an AERATED COMPOST TEA and this would be exactly what I am talking about. (one version of)