Bats have a deadly grip on our imagination and live with stories of vampires, shapeshifters, and other particularly unpleasant night creatures. In truth, they are amazing creatures, filling a vital niche in the ecosystem and controlling the number of bugs around us. Each bat can consume over a thousand bugs in a night, keeping them from destroying your plants, ruining your picnics, and spreading some dangerous diseases.
Bats are the most widespread mammal in the world, living just about everywhere trees manage to grow. They range from less than 6 inches in wingspan and half an ounce in weight to the harmless but popular, horror movie star- the fox bat, with a wingspan of over five feet.
There are over 40 species of bats in the United States, all of them harmless and some strikingly cute, as long as the numbers of their population stay in check with the environment around them and they don't decide to set up camp in our homes.
Unfortunately, just as with any other plant or creature around us, when bat numbers get out of control, they can become a serious nuisance, necessitating the involvement of bat control specialists to ensure our species' happy coexistence.
Let's take a look at the types of bats common to Nebraska, which species are rare and endangered, and when is the time to give pest control in Omaha a call to get help making your home bat free. CP Bat Mitigation has decades of experience in bat mitigation, call us today!
What Kind Of Bats Are In Omaha?
New species of bats are discovered all the time, and as of today, wildlife experts have concluded that Nebraska is home to 13 types of bats.
Living in the Omaha area, however, you're likely to observe the following eight bat species:
- Eastern red bat
- Silver-haired bat
- Evening bat
- Tri-colored bat
- Hoary bat
- Northern long-eared bat
- Indiana bat
- Little brown bat
All bats are mammals, sporting a pair of legs and arms. Their hand structure is remarkably similar to humans, with the bone structure stretched out and adapted to accommodate wing membranes.
Most bat species in Omaha subside on insects (eating huge amounts of them every day), with a few preferring fruits, nectar, and pollen. Of over a thousand bat species, only three feed on blood. Vampire bats, hairy-leg vampire bats, and white-winged vampire bats make small incisions in the skin and lap up the blood and feed.
What Time Do Bats Like To Come Out In Nebraska?
When the temperature starts to drop and insects become scarce, bats go into hibernation or migrate to warmer climates, depending on the species. When warmer days arrive in mid-April, or the spring is early and unusually warm, you can observe the emergence of bats in our state. Coincidentally, this is the time at is the time we receive the majority of requests for bat control assistance at CP Bat Mitigation.
Are Bats Protected In Nebraska?
The number of bats has dropped greatly in the last few decades, partially due to the white-nose fungus that affects them and partly to a decrease in the area of areas of their natural habitat. While many bat species are endangered, in Nebraska, only northern long-eared bats and Indiana bats are protected by state and federal laws requiring the application of humane bat control for their relocation.
Professional And Humane Bat Relocation Services
As interesting and beneficial as they are, sharing your home with bats is not the best idea. While chances of being infected by a disease they carry are very slim, bats will bite if cornered, and stepping into a pile of bat droppings is an experience no one would volunteer for.
If you're wondering how to control bats in your Omaha home and are in need of experienced, humane bat pest control professionals to help them find their way out-give CP Bat Mitigation a call!