Town installs bat houses — good for the environment and the budget

ANDOVER — Andover Township successfully completed the building and installation of 26 new bat enclosures around town. Spearheaded by the environmental commission, the bat habitat project began in September and was completed the end of June. In response to white nose fungus, a disease that kills bats and is rampant in the tri-state area, the environmental commission wanted to build new habitats for bat safety and for reproduction purposes. “Bats eat insects which keep down the cost of spraying. So by building new habitats for them to introduce new species, it becomes natural insect control as opposed to chemicals and pesticides,” said Christine Kretzmer, environmental commissioner for Andover Township. “The houses blend in with the environment and are brown colored and hang on trees.” With direction from United States Fish and Wildlife Service which provided plans for constructing the caves and by utilizing local Boy Scout Marshall Chudley who constructed them, the results have been well-received. 14 of the bat habitats are placed throughout the new walking trail along with one at the police department and another at Hillside Park. And the remainder is strategically placed in different sections of town outlining the whole perimeter. Even the mayor has a few. “The one hanging outside my house looks great, and I know there are bats in there so it’s working. Congratulations, you all did a great job,” said Andover Township Mayor Mike Lensak at the July 23 township committee meeting. Kretzmer also acknowledged Excelsior Lumber Company in Andover who provided extra materials and a generous discount. The 17-year-old Boy Scout and Sussex County Technical student completed the task through the Eagle Scout leadership program. “The plans were easy to follow. The houses were made of CDX plywood and not hard to make,” said Chudley. “I enjoyed the project.” “Marshall did a fantastic job. He did excellent presentations throughout the process. We had great support from Bob Gerdes and the Boy Scout Troop,” said Kretzmer.