Fall is the time to exclude bats from your structures
FWC photo.
The Florida bonneted bat is federally listed as an endangered species, and the tricolored bat was proposed to be federally listed last year.
Fall is the time to exclude bats from your home or other structures, as exclusion is not permitted during bat maternity season, which runs from April 15 through August 15.
Waiting until fall to exclude bats from homes and buildings protects Florida’s beneficial bat populations by keeping them undisturbed while they give birth and raise their young, called pups.
While Florida’s native bats typically roost in trees, caves or other natural spaces, they are also attracted to human-made structures. Exclusion devices are available that allow bats to safely exit a structure without reentry. They are the only legal and appropriate method of removing bats from homes or buildings. In Florida, it is illegal to kill or harm bats.
Bat exclusion is a multistep technique where all potential bat entry and exit points in a building are identified. To legally exclude bats, exclusion devices must be left up for a minimum of four nights, and the low temperature must be forecasted to remain above 50 degrees during that time.
Florida boasts 13 native bat species, all of which are both ecologically and economically beneficial. These include the federally-listed Florida bonneted bat and the tricolored bat, which was proposed to be federally listed last year. All of the state’s bats are insectivores, with a single bat capable of eating hundreds of insects, such as mosquitoes or garden pests, in a single night. The impact of bats is felt worldwide in their capacity as pollinators, seed dispersers and fertilizers.
The FWC suggests the following to aid native bat populations:
• Preserve natural roost sites, including trees with cavities or peeling bark.
• Leave dead palm fronds and Spanish moss, which can provide roosting spots for bats.
• Install a bat house on your property.
Report unusual bat behavior and sick or dead bats to MyFWC.com/BatMortality.
For more information on proper exclusion techniques and ways you can help bats in Florida thrive, visit MyFWC.com/Bats.
View photos at Flickr.com/Photos/MyFWCmedia/sets/72157629634139558/.