Have any of you ever harvested bat guano?

[scaleface]

There is an abandoned building nearby with a pile of guano on the floor . Thinking about getting a bucket for my tomatoes . Just want to be cautious and not inhale harmful dust or add to much to the soil . My plot is 10'x3' and will hold four plants. Any of you used it before?

[senile1]

https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/location/madison/blog/bat-guano-is-it-dangerous/#:~:text=Many animal control and healthcare,the outside of your home.

 

I have thought about this as well.  This article seems to indicate it is pretty difficult to disturb it without breathing in the fungus spores that are so dangerous.

[TnRiver46]

Hahahaha. Lord have I……..

 

There’s no tomato on this planet tasty enough for me to want that crap anywhere near my food. Absolutely disgusting 

 

heres me planking next to some guano mountains 

 

[scaleface]

3 minutes ago, senile1 said:

https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/location/madison/blog/bat-guano-is-it-dangerous/#:~:text=Many animal control and healthcare,the outside of your home.

 

I have thought about this as well.  This article seems to indicate it is pretty difficult to disturb it without breathing in the fungus spores that are so dangerous.

I saw that article too.   His business is wildlife control, so I'm skeptical.  

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hahahaha. Lord have I……..

 

There’s no tomato on this planet tasty enough for me to want that crap anywhere near my food 

 

heres me planking next to some guano mountains 

 

Thats a lot.

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

I saw that article too.   His business is wildlife control, so I'm skeptical.  

That’s my business too, am I skeptical? Haha

2 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I saw that article too.   His business is wildlife control, so I'm skeptical.  

Thats a lot.

That’s was day one of a week long project 

[gim]

[scaleface]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Absolutely disgusting

Do you not want to use it because its disgusting or dangerous?

[TnRiver46]

Just now, scaleface said:

Do you not want to use it because its disgusting or dangerous?

Both I suppose . Risk far outweighs any benefit 

[scaleface]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Both I suppose . Risk far outweighs any benefit 

I'm convinced, no bat crap for me.

[TnRiver46]

I think they sell bat poo by the bag in Home Depot, that would be safer than stirring it up in a building I guess. 
 

Tomatoes grow fine without it also 

 

 

 

Another thing I just thought of. I believe the value of guano is that it’s high in phosphorus because a bat is carnivorous, not like cow or horse dung high in nitrogen. 
 

there may be a fertilizer with high phosphorous available from ag stores 

[cheezyridr]

when i want a plant to grow REAL  good, i use fish emulsion #5. a capful to a gallon of water.  don't use too much or you'll burn up your plant, and don't use it to spray from a bottle. poured into the ground, that stuff is pure rock and roll.  the plants i was growing wasn't tomatoes, but boy howdy they grew like jack and the beanstalk

[N Florida Mike]

I’ve never heard of it, but if it involves a bat , I’m not in .

My dad and me grew tomatoes and got great results with all the fish guts we put around them…

[BrianMDTX]

22 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I think they sell bat poo by the bag in Home Depot, that would be safer than stirring it up in a building I guess. 
 

Tomatoes grow fine without it also 

 

 

 

Another thing I just thought of. I believe the value of guano is that it’s high in phosphorus because a bat is carnivorous, not like cow or horse dung high in nitrogen. 
 

there may be a fertilizer with high phosphorous available from ag stores 

Guano, whether bat or seabird, was a prime source of potassium nitrate (saltpeter) back in the days of black powder, and for its source of nitrogen as fertilizer. Wars have been fought over it. 
 

https://thebreakthrough.org/articles/remember-the-guano-wars

[galyonj]

5 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Guano, whether bat or seabird, was a prime source of potassium nitrate (saltpeter) back in the days of black powder, and for its source of nitrogen as fertilizer. Wars have been fought over it. 
 

https://thebreakthrough.org/articles/remember-the-guano-wars

 

One of my favorite literary examples of the use of bat guano to make gunpowder was in Blood Meridian.

[TnRiver46]

13 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Guano, whether bat or seabird, was a prime source of potassium nitrate (saltpeter) back in the days of black powder, and for its source of nitrogen as fertilizer. Wars have been fought over it. 
 

https://thebreakthrough.org/articles/remember-the-guano-wars

I’ll cut ya a deal on some black bags full…..

[scaleface]

Changed my mind . I have five gallons of guano . Dont know how I'm going to apply it yet . 

[Susky River Rat]

[DitchPanda]

On 3/15/2023 at 8:01 AM, gimruis said:

Guano bowls *sniff* collect the whole set

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

Changed my mind . I have five gallons of guano . Dont know how I'm going to apply it yet . 

My boss was looking for a guy like you for so long!!! He has lots of it but it all got rained on for years.

 

Do you have a respirator? Any will be better than nothing, I don’t think the one I’m wearing in that photo is expensive. What you don’t want is dry and dusty getting everything airbone, maybe spritz it with a spray bottle to keep the dust down 

[scaleface]

I watched a lot  of Youtube videos and they all claim it is really good stuff , extremely high in nitrogen . The pot growers really like it.

[PressuredFishing]

I debated posting here, but will try to help.

 

 

I am studying horticultural science, fertilizer  is often not needed as much as many think for most edible plants and ornamental plants in a garden bed. It is generally only required if you are growing too many plants in the same area and growing heavy feeding plants. 

 

Fertilizers also can cause many problems, fertilizer promotes lots of young leafy growth which

 

Discourages fruiting and flowering

 

Attracts pests to newly grown leaves 

 

Discourages diversity of soil life microbes, because different microbes feed on different things, and dumping bat guano into a garden bed will only attract the few bacteria eating bat guano 

 

Petroluem fertilizers make this worse

 

Some fertilizers are also known to pose health risks. Many organic fertilizers put into soil raw and not hot composted can carry parasites from the previous animal into your soil, such as tapeworms.

 

If plants are showing difficiencies in nutrients try watering more because without water plants cannot take nutrients out of the soil.

 

Soil texture is much better changed with carbon over nitrogen,  light nitrogen cool composted carbon materials will be your best bet.

 

Tomatoes are even considered invasive to preserves to protect native plants.

[Darth-Baiter]

i have to retrofit a bridge soon.  it is caked with bat poo.  i thought about fertilizers but nah...i have enough sinus problems.

 

my tomatos are plenty delicious.  i did try to grow some smokables, and i kinda went nuts on fertilizers.  it was a rabbit hole of info.  i dont even smoke!!  again, sinuses.  but it was fun and interesting.