As the temperature drops and the pumpkin spice lattes creep into your local store, another creature will soon be appearing on your Halloween decorations. There is no creature more unfairly vilified in American horror than the bat. From myths of flying vampires, to blood sucking bats, to myths of bats nesting in people’s hair, they are sure to give some people the screams. Yet when I see a bat, it is more a scream of joy.
Many of the 11 species that occur in Ohio have declined dramatically from a mixture of a fewer flying insects and the fungal disease known as “white-nose syndrome.” This disease is not spreadable to humans but has decimated bat populations across North America. Sadly, a bat flying through the mid-summer sky seems to be way less common than it did 15 years ago.
Some people fear bats due to rabies concerns, which bats occasionally carry. However, you are 10x more likely to be killed by a cow than die of rabies in the USA. Having bats in our backyards is highly beneficial. They are incredible insect control and eat mosquitos in huge volumes. It is estimated bats save the crop industry somewhere between 1-2 billon dollars a year by controlling pests, and in the southwest, they are main pollinators of agave (and cacti), which of course is the key ingredient in tequila.
Sometimes, roosting bats do end up in attics but pose little threat and should be removed humanely. It is illegal to kill bats in Ohio and you must make sure you get permission to remove them during pup-rearing season. One way to help mitigate this is by securing outside entry holes into your attic. To help bat populations, consider installing a large bat box with a proper design in your backyard. Installing bat boxes without proper planning can have unintended consequences, and experts say it may be better to plant native trees and wildflowers, leave a small standing snag, or provide clean water sources for the bats.
For more information on bats: https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/zoonotic-disease-program/animals/bats/