Little Brown Bats: Friend or Foe?

Did you know that Indiana bats are responsible for eating many insects that could conceivably affect over $3 billion in agricultural loss if our friend the bat was not in the environmental chain?

We need bats. They are our friends!

One of the very serious dangers to little brown bats is the dreaded, white-nosed syndrome -- a fungal disease that has been found in several caves in Indiana and can be spread by the fungus attached to boots, clothing and other items on humans who visit caves.

This fungus also can be spread from fungal spores transferred by animals. 

A brief discussion of how this syndrome is so dangerous for our bat population in simple terms is that the fungus makes the bat itch, waking it up during hibernation causing it to search for food. If it wakes up too early, the insects that they need for food are not available and the bat literally starves to death. 

The little brown bat is a bat that roosts in the summer in man-made structures and in trees during early spring through November. Most bats move on to mines and caves during the colder months to inhabit their winter roosts.

During winter migration to caves and mines in southern Indiana and Kentucky, some bats may be left behind in attics or in protected areas that can withstand the cold. 

We do not want bats to live in our homes due to parasites in bat guano or feces that can cause harm to humans, not to mention bat urine in attics or the possibility of introduction of the rabies virus in some cases.

• One way to protect our homes from unwelcome bats is to bat proof structures during or shortly before the winter migration after the young have grown independent. Use of the cones is prohibited from June 15 through Aug. 15 due to this time of year is bat maternity time. Batproofing with the use of bat cones allowing bats to leave the roost but not allowing them to reenter is one option.
• Sealing all openings that would allow bat entry after we know all bats are gone from the structure is another option. We do not want to separate the female bat from her young until the young bat is able to fly and collect food on its own. 

Bats are our friends and should be protected but should not be allowed to contaminate the structures we are living in.