BALANCING THE BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS OF BATS
Bats are fairly common in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Bats normally live in hollow trees, under loose bark and in cracks of rocky ledges. However, in urban areas they frequently utilize attics or areas behind shutters and downspouts. These bats feed exclusively on insects. They devour more mosquitoes and other insects than birds and bug zappers do, but people usually do not perceive bats as beneficial.
Benefits of Bats
Bats are one of the most feared and least regarded mammals on earth. Many millions of bats die each year out of human fear and ignorance, and coupled with habitat destruction and roost loss, bat numbers are declining rapidly.
Bats are one of the major predators of night flying insects. A decrease in bat numbers allows the insect population to increase substantially. This means more mosquitoes, Gypsy moths, Japanese beetles, and a long list of other insect pests. One bat can eat 600-1,000 mosquito-sized insects in only one hour, so there is a huge benefit in saving this valuable resource.
Besides eating insects, bats also pollinate plants like the saguaro cactus in the western states. Without bats to pollinate this cactus, the whole desert ecosystem is at risk. Many types of bats eat fruit in the tropical rainforests. These bats are important because they disperse seeds that help the rainforest regrow. back to the list
Getting a Bat out of the House
More and more people are seeing bats roosting in buildings, instead of caves. One of the reasons is that there are many new land developments which are destroying many of the bat's natural habitats. When this is the case, bats must relocate to new roosting grounds which are sometimes buildings. Another possible reason that bats leave their original roosts may be due to over population in the colonies.
Bats that were born in the spring leave their mothers during late summer and early fall. The young bats occasionally find their way into houses in the early evening hours. This occurs accidentally when the bats are seeking shelter or hiding places. They can enter through openings as small as one half inch in diameter. Bats do not attack people, and once indoors a bat will try to escape outside. Open exterior doors and windows in the room in which a bat is trapped, and use a broom to direct the animal outdoors. back to the list
Bat-Proofing the Attic
There are no chemical controls registered for use against bats. Lights, ultrasonic devices, smoke, gasses, mothballs, and noise have all failed in excluding bats from buildings. Experts agree the only safe and smart way to remove bats from a building is to exclude them and then seal up the entry points. If bat colonies are located in attics or other parts of a building, you can easily scare the bats out in the evening and block their entry holes while they are gone. Bats are not capable of making holes for entry into buildings, so caulking or otherwise closing openings makes a house batproof. Sealing openings should be done in seasons other than winter, since some bats do hibernate within the walls instead of migrating south. Be very careful when cleaning up bat droppings (guano), as they may harbor disease organisms. back to the list
Bat Houses
Build bat houses in your yard if you wish to take advantage of the bats' insect eating habits. Call the Extension office at (704) 922-0301 to get a plan for building a bat house. back to the list
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