Bats.
They’re those winged creatures that fly into people’s hair, right?
They bite people, too, right?
And, of course, they wreak all kinds of havoc, right?
Wrong, wrong and wrong, says Tracy Weaver, a master gardener volunteer with the Pasco County Cooperative Extension, which is part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
Weaver shared her knowledge of, and her downright affection for, bats, during a talk she gave at the Starkey Ranch Theatre, Library and Cultural Center, at 12118 Lake Blanche Drive, in the Starkey Ranch community in Odessa.
She shared some myths and misconceptions about bats, which, she said, is why bats are sometimes feared.
“They are misunderstood because of us. We have so little knowledge of them.
“You all grew up, ‘Oh, they’re terrible, they’re going to get in my hair. They’re going to bite me.’
“And then, all of those vampire movies we used to watch. Oh, my gosh, did they do an injustice to the bats. It just drives me crazy,” Weaver told the audience.
In truth, Weaver said, “there are only three species of vampire bats and they only live in Central and South America.”
Bats are nocturnal and often live in eerie places, such as in caves, or under bridges, in the eaves of houses, or in attics.
“That’s kind of spooky and scary to people: ‘I don’t want that bat in my house. I’m going to get rabies. It’s going to bite me. It’s going to spit up blood,’” she said.
While it is possible to get rabies from bats, that rarely happens, Weaver added.
“Less than ½ of 1% (of bats) get rabies, and if they do, they crash and die, within days,” she said.
Weaver gave her talk at the Starkey Ranch library because she wants to help people gain a greater understanding about bats.
She hopes increased knowledge will create a greater appreciation of the benefits bats provide and will lead to more activities aimed at attracting and protecting the winged creatures.
Besides touting the advantages of having bats nearby, she discussed how to make bat houses, how to create good conditions for attracting bats and steps that can be taken to reduce the threat of predators.
She also pointed out resources that can provide more information to help those interested in attracting bats to their properties, or who simply want to satisfy their curiosity about them.
Weaver’s enthusiasm for bats is obvious.
While some might freak out when they see a bat dart by, Weaver has a different reaction.
Her response?
“That was a bat, cool,” Weaver said. “They’re flying mammals. They’re just so cool, it’s amazing.”
Do you want to attract bats?
If you want to attract bats, don’t cut your palm fronds.
“They love those palm fronds,” said Weaver, a former agriculture teacher.
Building a bat house is another way to encourage bats to live on your property.
The bat house should be at least 24 inches tall and 16 inches wide. It needs a landing pad that’s 3 inches to 6 inches wide. There should be vents in the boxes, and at least four chambers.
The boxes can be built from exterior plywood, or cedar, she added. But pressure-treated wood should be avoided because of the chemicals it contains.
In Florida, light colors are good because that reflects, rather than absorbs, heat.
The bat box should be at least 10 feet above ground, but ideally between 15 feet to 25 feet, she said. Flag poles can make good poles for bat boxes, she said.
It’s best to mount the bat houses at least 25 feet away from trees and in an area with easy access to water.
Bats come in, in the mornings, sleep all day and leave their roost at night, she said.
Bat houses need to be in open spaces.
“If you put it near trees, they’re going to have a hard time swooping in,” she said.
The boxes also need to be far enough away from trees to prevent predators from climbing up to get to them.
Predators of bats include owls, hawks, snakes and raccoons.
More than 1,400 species of bats have been counted in the world, including 48 in the United States, Weaver said. Of those, 13 live in Florida year-round, and about 65 come and go, Weaver said.
Many people are not aware of the critical role that bats play, in eating mosquitoes and all kinds of agricultural pests, Weaver said.
They are an asset for both the ecosystem and the economy, Weaver said, noting in the United States alone they have saved billions of dollars by protecting agricultural crops.
Myths and facts about bats
Myths:
- Bats are flying mice: No, they’re not.
- Bats are blind: No, they can see as well as humans.
- They get tangled in people’s hair: That’s more likely to happen in a horror movie.
Facts:
- If bats get close to people it’s because bats eat insects, and like humans, insects exhale carbon dioxide.
- Bats can have lengthy lives, some exceeding 40 years — and typically live between 20 and 30 years.
- Bats live everywhere, except in extremely cold or extremely hot places.
- In Florida, the longevity of bats in Florida is typically between 10 to 12 years.
- There’s an abundance of bats in South America and Central America. Those are the fruit-eating and nectar bats.
- Distinguishing features of bats include its ears, color, size and whether or not it has a tail.
- 1,421 species of bats have been counted in the world. There are 48 species in the United States, and of those, 13 live in Florida year-round.
Want to know more about bats? Check out this website, www.BatCon.org, or visit FloridaMuseum.ufl.edu/bats/.
Source: Tracy Weaver, master gardener volunteer with Pasco County Cooperative Extension
How to help bats
- Raise public awareness about the benefits they provide
- Discourage the inhumane removal of bats from buildings
- Provide forage for them: Give them a place to be
- Keep your cats indoors at dawn and dusk
Source: Tracy Weaver, master gardener volunteer with Pasco County Cooperative Extension
Published October 26, 2022
