Yep, this coming week is Bat Week, ironically in advance of Halloween, vampires, ghosts, and goblins. But bats are perhaps the most misunderstood of all animals. They are feared and loathed by some, but they play a vital part in our environment.
Writes Courtney Celley of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want to set the record straight and help others understand the importance of bats. Though often feared and loathed as sinister creatures of the night, bats are vital to the health of our environment and our economy.
“Bats play an essential role in pest control,” she continues, “by pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. Recent studies estimate that bats eat enough pests to save more than $1 billion per year in crop damage and pesticide costs in the United States corn industry alone. While many bats eat insects, others feed on nectar and provide critical pollination for a variety of plants like peaches, cloves, bananas, and agaves. In fact, bats are the sole pollinator for the agave plant, a key ingredient in tequila.”
“Unfortunately, bats are declining across the globe. Many bats are needlessly killed because people do not understand the important role bats play in a healthy ecosystem. For bats that hibernate in caves, the need for winter shelter during hibernation puts them at another disadvantage. Human activity resulting in loss of habitat and disruptions during hibernation are detrimental. Making matters worse, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has claimed the lives of more than 5 million bats since its discovery in 2006 and has spread across North America at alarming rates.”
“Across the continent, we’re working with partners to protect bats, research treatments to halt the spread of white-nose syndrome and raise awareness about just how incredible, and vulnerable, bats are.”
You can become a bat ambassador by flowing the suggestions below.
Turn off unnecessary lights. Light pollution can disrupt or deter bats. Providing a dark environment can help improve conditions for bats.
Promote natural habitat around your home. Leave dead and dying trees in areas where they don’t create a hazard – they may be used as roosting sites for bats.
Feed hungry bats by minimizing the use of pesticides in your yard. A single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in a single night.
Provide shelter by installing a bat box. Providing shelter for bats is a great way to promote a healthy environment. Bat boxes should be placed 10 to 20 feet high in open areas that receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight with morning sun preferred.
Avoid disturbing bats. Stay out of caves and mines where bats are hibernating in winter. If a bat is disturbed during hibernation, it may become active. This increased activity can lead to starvation if the bat’s fat reserves are used up before winter is over.
Remove unwanted bats humanely. If a bat accidentally flies into your home, remove it safely without harming the bat. If bats take up residence in your home, use humane methods to exclude the bats. If you contact a professional to help with bat exclusion, be sure to ask them if they use humane methods.
