Bats are Cool!

Healthy Virginia big-eared bat Originally uploaded by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region

For day two of the 30-Day Outdoor Challenge, we spent 30 minutes watching the bats that live under the eave of our house. Each evening at dusk the same ritual happens. The bats take flight to catch all sorts of insects for their night time meal. At first the kids were afraid of bats. Now they look forward to the evenings when we watch them.


We have a colony of Little Brown Bats sharing our house with us. We don't mind them because they make easy work of controlling the insect populations in our yard, especially those darn mosquitoes!

Bats Have A Bad Rap
But you might be surprised that the rumors about them are just that --- rumors! They are actually fascinating creatures that are extremely important to the environment. Not only do they keep insect populations in check, but they are also vital pollinators.

Bats are in Trouble
According to Bat Conservation International, White-nose Syndrome has devastated bat populations across the eastern United States during the past four years, causing “the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America." If we lose our bats, there will be serious environmental consequences.

Kids Can Help
We are helping our state environmental protection agency keep track of bat populations by reporting on whether or not our bats return to their roosting spot. Scientists need to find out where the various populations live so they can study them and help them survive. Keeping and eye on our bats is good for them and good for the kids too, as they feel like little scientists and that they are doing their part to help. If you are interested in getting involved contact your state natural resource agency and ask about citizen bat monitoring programs.


Helpful Links
Everything you've always wanted to learn about bats and more:

Bat Conservation International and Organization for Bat Conservation