However, some reputable companies offer organic guano fertilizer with ethics and sustainability in mind. Some have turned their backs on guano based on these sustainability and exploitation issues. Miners also face health risks of repetitive exposure to bat feces without adequate safety equipment, which can cause severe respiratory problems. People will collect from remote spots, sometimes in dangerous landscapes. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to illegal harvesting in challenging circumstances. Therefore, collecting guano in some regions is outlawed. Analysis has indicated that bat guano mining is linked to the loss of specific bat species and associated invertebrates and fungi. Bats are very susceptible to any disturbance of their roosts. However, the most consequential damage is to the bat colonies themselves. Naturally, the guano sustains many cave-dwelling invertebrate species, which depend on it for survival. What About Sustainability?īat guano mining can affect the biodiversity of the bat’s roost cave environment. In contrast, fruit-eating bat varieties have guano with a higher phosphorus content, which is more valuable during the flowering stage. For example, bats that eat insects produce guano with a higher nitrogen content, creating an excellent fertilizer for the vegetative stage. The diet of various bat species can change the nutrient profile of the guano. Over 40 years, Peru shipped over 20 million tonnes of guano worldwide, making over $2 billion in profit. In the 19th century, guano caused mass hysteria similar to the California gold rush. Guano was so precious to crop development that huge battles were fought over guano mines for centuries. “Guano has become so desirable to agricultural interests in the US that the Government must employ all means properly in its power to cause it to be imported into the country at a reasonable price” – US President Millard Fillmore 1850-1853 From 1840 onwards, Britain imported upwards of two million tonnes of guano, and the administration of the United States made it a case of agricultural need. A horticultural boom caused worry that the soil might be drained of nutrients irreparably until farmers saw guano’s benefits. In the early to mid-1800s, guano caused a stir in European and American farmers. It was so vital that Incan rulers split the guano-bearing islands among the provinces. It has been a respected fertilizer used by the Incas and older South American cultures for centuries. Guano has a history as one of the most precious fertilizers in the world. Guano is an excellent supplement to any organic grow, indoors or out. The result is a substance we call guano.īat guano is an organic plant superfood that encourages prolific garden growth. As a result, masses of excrement build up within the bat roost cave, eventually breaking down into rich compost. Bats live in large colonies, sharing the same cave from generation to generation.
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