Bats generally get a nasty rap, but are bats friendly to humans? Vampires, bites, and diseases come to mind, which inclines some to fear animals.
Here’s the good news! Bats aren’t horrible creatures out for your blood! They are passive, gentle, and fascinating creatures who MUCH prefer insects, not you.
If you suspect bats are roosting in your home or attic and want to learn more about them, visit CP Bat Mitigation before you reach for poison or traps (don’t do it!). The flying mammals rarely bite.
Are Bats Nice to Humans?
Healthy bats are not aggressive towards humans and usually avoid them by flying away. However, they may fly close to people when chasing insects, which can look like an attack. Bats are only aggressive when they are provoked or frightened.
Everyone at CP Bat Mitigation knows that the first step to species preservation is a desire to learn. If we understand how significant these furry flyers are, we can understand why we must do whatever we can to ensure their survival.
They Have Some Benefits
- Bats are nature’s insect control. They eat mosquitoes all night, binging on moths, wasps, beetles, gnats, midges, mayflies, and other insects.
- Guano is another name for bat droppings. It is beneficial for your garden! Guano is rich in nitrogen, so it makes an excellent fertilizer!
- They are pollinators. They move pollen grains to and from plants and flowers.
- They help distribute the seeds of various flowers and plants.
- When the Confederate Army was low on gunpowder, caves were raided for poop. Bat guano’s high nitrate content provided an essential ingredient for producing gunpowder.
Are bats friendly to humans? Well, bats and humans have been coexisting for 50 million years! This ongoing relationship benefits both species in a non-invasive, non-aggressive way.
Bats Offer Free Pest Control
Bats are keystone species, which means they are crucial to the continued health and survival of their habitat. Without keystone species, bats' ecosystems would be dramatically affected or cease to exist.
How does this translate to you? Here in the Midwest, we have a common enemy: mosquitos! They are the bane of every summer outdoor experience.
Guess who eats a megaton of mosquitos? Bats! The brown bat is typical in North America, and these insectivores can catch up to 600 insects an hour, or a third to a half of their body weight!
These mammals eat mosquitos, beetles, moths, and other flying insects. Once their prey is caught, these fearless flyers transfer it to their mouths while in flight!
A bat house on your property is an excellent way to decrease your immediate area’s mosquito population. What’s better than FREE pest control?
About The Echo, Echo, Echo…
Bats are extraordinary creatures and are essential to your local ecosystem.
Bats are the only mammals that can fly and use a super-cool technique to hunt their prey. It’s called echolocation, and it’s how they navigate in the dark. These creatures don’t have excellent eyesight, so you’ve heard stories of them diving at people or getting stuck in their hair. Hey, they were going after its prey, not you!
These flying mammals produce a sound at a frequency that is undetectable to human ears. When the sound hits an object, the noise reflects back to them. Echolocation is so precise that these animals can detect something as small as a mosquito or as delicate as a strand of human hair blowing in the breeze.
The little flying foxes use echolocation to hunt thousands of bugs every night. Most species feed on insects and other small critters, but few also eat plant pollen, fruit, and nectar.
Where Are Their Habitats?
Most bats are about the size of a mouse and use their tiny teeth and weak jaws to grind up insects.
The little brown bat, our most common bat species, hibernates in caves and mines. During the summer, you can find them roosting in caves, mines, hollow trees, tree bark, and buildings.
If you want to make bat viewing a part of your next vacation, here’s a list of bat-viewing sites around the world! Did you know that the Flying Fox Bat is the world’s largest bat, while the Bumblebee Bat is the smallest?
Suppose you don’t want to travel worldwide to see them. In that case, the Minnesota Zoo features the Egyptian Fruit Bat, the Ruwenzori Fruit Bat, and the prominent and more visible Straw-Colored Fruit Bat.
If you need to tend to a small, injured brown bat, wear leather gloves or something sturdy enough to protect your hands. Or, call the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.
They’re the experts on our local wild animals—tremendous and trim.
They Need Our Help!
Since 2006-2007, we have lost bats in devastating numbers to white-nose syndrome. As of 2020, this disease (NOT transferable to humans) continues to attack the bat population, causing catastrophic losses.
“White-nose syndrome was confirmed in bats hibernating at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park …as of 2020, the bats hibernating at Soudan Underground Mine and Mystery Cave have declined by 93% and 94%, respectively.” – Minnesota DNR.
More than ever, these animals need our help and care to recover and thrive. If you’d like information on installing a bat house, CP Bat Mitigation has tips and expert advice.
So Bats Are Your Friend, Not Your Foe
These creatures continue to be wildly misunderstood and mistreated. Now that you know they are friendly to humans, you can join the international bat preservation team from your backyard! Then, sit back and enjoy the many benefits these winged creatures bring to your property.
Make a fun game of counting bats at sunset with your kids, and try to guess how many nasty mosquitos they’re eating!
CP Bat Mitigation will enjoy talking to you and busting some myths and common misinformation about bats. They understand these creatures' essential role and how beneficial they are to you outside of your home, of course.