The little brown bat is your backyard friend! Smart homeowners and farmers love and protect the little insect eaters from environmental danger. These small creatures eat thousands of bugs daily including mosquitoes. They do not attack people or other animals and only come out at night to feed. However, recent mysterious outbreaks of a disease called White Nose Syndrome in bats have been devastating colonies for the past 4 years! Bats are extremely important to eco-systems in the U.S. and most other countries. The little brown bat needs your help to help it survive rocky times.
Around September, the male and female bats meet up again and join other colonies to fly to a wintering location in caves, usually no more than 100 – 200 miles away. They find a location in the ceiling of the cave that has a consistent temperature above freezing and with a high humidity.
During the winter, the little brown bats go into hibernation and then awaken again in March to May. As many as 300,000 bats have been reported in a single winter roost. Since little brown bats may live in colder climates, they must depend on layers of body fat to protect and carry them through their winter sleep.
The little brown bat can have three types of roost: day, night, and hibernation. The day and night roosts are used for summer time when during the day the bats sleep in a warm dark shelter and during the night they roost between dusk and dawn feedings. Females use the nursery colonies both day and night while the pups are still under 4 weeks old.
Here is the myth about rabies. The vast majority of bats do not have rabies and you cannot contract rabies from bat feces (guano), urine or blood. Rabies is a preventable, but serious viral infection that rarely is be spread to humans. It is contracted through contact with an infected animal’s saliva entering into a wound, nose, mouth or eyes. Statistics show that from 1995 through 2009, only two people in the U.S. per year from a rabid bat, according to the Bat Conservation Organization.
Why are bats so important to our outdoor environments?
Bats are a very important agricultural ally in the fight against insect pests, which eat crops and cost farmers billions of dollars in damages each year. The benefit of bats to farmers is huge. Besides mosquitoes, bats help control the populations of beetles, fleas, leafhoppers and moths. Insects can hear bats up to 100 feet away and will avoid areas occupied by bats. The effectiveness of bats reduces the need for pesticides and chemical insect control that can harm both the pests and their natural predators.
Bats also help pollinate crops when they are eating insects. Did you know that there would be no tequila without bats because they alone pollinate the agave plants?
"Many species of economically important tropical and subtropical plants such as fruits, nuts, spices, peaches, bananas, mangos, guavas, avocados, dates, figs cashews, carob, timber trees, cacti and clove depend on bats for pollination of their flowers and dispersal of their seeds. Unfortunately, the survival of many species of bats hangs in the balance. Pesticide poisoning, habitat loss, over exploitation, inadvertent and deliberate human disturbance or destruction of colonies and hibernation sites all take their toll. Some species are already extinct, and others have experienced population declines of up to 80%. To continue your study of bats, you can visit the web page of Bat Conservation International at
http://www.batcon.org/ but be sure to come back! (Source: batcon.org) "
Why might the little brown bat become endangered?
Countdown to Extinction for Little Brown Bats
Predators:
Domestic cats have become adept at catching bats due to the close proximity of roosts to human habitations. Many predators take advantage of the high concentrations of bats in roosts. Even humans kill bats because they
have misconceptions about them or want them out of their house. Extraction can be humane, see below for more information. Predators such as martens and fishers take advantage of weak young that fall or hibernating individuals that are dislodged by grooming activities. Other predators of the little brown bat include raccoons, domestic cats, mice, owls, weasels, hawks, snakes and other small carnivores.
Pesticides 
:
Pesticides harm bats by direct contact or by limiting their food supply. Farmers can welcome bats to their land and limit the use of pesticides
by allowing the bats to eat harmful insects. The little brown bat will use artificial roosting sites if provided.
“The most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America according to biologists.”
White nose syndrome:
In the past four years, a mysterious bat-killing disease has spread across the eastern United States, threatening entire species with extinction. The disease, known as white nose syndrome, gets its name from a fungus that appears on the faces and wings of infected animals while they are hibernating. This devastating disease is causing “the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America,” according to biologists. In addition, this relentless disease keeps spreading into new areas. The White-nose Syndrome causes bats to awaken more often during hibernation and use up the stored fat reserves that are needed for the cold winter hibernation. Infected bats often emerge too soon from hibernation and are often seen flying around in midwinter. These bats usually freeze or starve to death. Mortality rates approaching 100 percent are reported at some sites.
Update Thu Aug 5, 2010 6:42pm:
"
The infection is spreading quickly across the Northeastern United States and Canada and is likely to cause the regional extinction of the little brown myotis bat, the researchers report in the journal Science.Source
Rueters"
This is a critical time for bats and losing our bats would have devastating consequences for natural ecosystems and human economies!
What can you do to help protect the
little brown bat?
Install A Bat House
Be environmentally friendly and reduce the mosquito population as well as help your little brown bat colonies by installing a bat house near your home. Bat houses range in size from holding a dozen bats to having enough space for a colony of 500 bats or so. Little brown bats prefer to roost in colonies, so a mid-sized house (100-300 bats) is typically recommended. A bat house may be mounted on a pole, or building; bats tend to shy away from houses mounted on trees. For mounting on buildings, wood or stone buildings are best, and your bat house should be mounted under the eaves with some sun exposure. Install the bat house 15-20 feet above the ground where it will not be exposed to bright lights and it is safe from predators such as cats and raccoons. Install the bat house where it will receive at least six hours of sun if you live in a region where the average July temperatures range from 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a region where average July temperature are less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, you should mount the bat house where it will receive at least 10 hours of sun. Here are installation instructions fom the
Bat Conservatory.
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Join Bat World!
Join Bat World and support local conservancy organizations such as Audubon Naturalist Society, Potomac Conservancy, etc.
Do Not Use Pesticides !
Use Integrated Pest Management techniques instead of pesticides in your garden. See the USDA's excellent backyard conservation website for more information.
Turn Off The Bug Zapper!
Bats do a better job than bug zappers, which kill insects indiscriminately. Do not hurt bats with zappers, they can do the job on their own.
Install A Pond
Install a pond or water garden. In addition to beautifying your yard, it will give bats a place to get a drinking water. A healthy pond will support a population of aquatic insects for your bat to dine on as well.
Leave Dead Trees Standing For Bats
Let nature have its way. If possible, leave dead trees standing for bats to roost in. If there is no danger to persons or buildings, leaving dead trees, called snags, standing provides habitat for bats, cavity nesting birds, small mammals, and bark dwelling insects.
Attend An Educational Program About Bats
Attend an educational program to learn more about bats and other native wildlife. Knowledge takes away fear and brings joy.
Support Efforts To Understand And Iradicate White Nose Syndrome
Encourage your state and federal legislators to allocate funding towards the effort to understand and fight White-nose Syndrome.
Report Bat Deaths Or Unusual Behavior
Report unusual late-winter bat behavior (bats flying during the daytime, for example) or unexplained bat deaths to your state wildlife agency.
Adhere To Important State And Federal Environmental Laws, Advisories And Closures
Adhere to state, federal and local cave advisories and closures to help us prevent the transmission of White-nose Syndrome.
Educate Your Friends And Families About Bats!
Educate your friends and families about the benefits of bats and the White-nose Syndrome crisis.
Buy An Education Pack Online
Buy an education Pack online from Batcon http://www.batcon.org/index.php/all-about-bats/educator-curriculum.html
Please learn more and help our little brown bats survive. They are a critical part of health eco-systems worldwide.
Thank You!
Sharon Haddox
Writer & Editor
SeaGreenNews.com Volunteer & Donate to Non-Profit Green Orgs
Nature/Wildlife Enthusiast & Green Advocate
Rubicon Bat House Hunter Green
The Bat House Builder's Handbook
Resources
If you are interested in learning more about bats, you may wish to consider purchasing a bat house or a book for more information: University of Michigan.
Bat Viewing Locations
Bat Identification guide
About The Little Brown Bat in Wikipedia
Scientific Information from the University of Michigan
Do It Yourself Bat House
Putting up a Bat House
http://www.squidoo.com/xml/syndicate_lens/little-brown-bats
