It’s time to evict your uninvited bat guests! Bat maternity season begins April 15th and runs through August 15th. Exclusions of bat colonies must be completed before maternity season arrives. What happens is, bats will be giving birth to their young. From that time forward, until the young bats can fly on their own and feed themselves. It is not legal to exlude bats out of buildings during maternity season This is in order to prevent any young bats that can not yet fly from– getting stuck and trapped inside structures and dying.

The state of Florida claims 13 resident species, including the threatened species: Florida bonneted bat. There are some bats that roost in not natural structures such as inside of homes or buildings. It is not legal to harm or kill bats in Florida, there are guidelines that have been developed allowing for bats to be excluded as long as it is not during maternity season.

Bats are very important to our ecosystem. The native bats help keep insects in check. They keep mosquitoes and other bugs at bay for residents who want to enjoy the outdoors. The value of bats to the agricultural industry is estimated in the billions of dollars.

(more…)

Oftentimes people get unnerved by a bat that they find stranded in their home.  You see, bats follow the flow of air currents. However, no matter where you find a…