Help Save the Bats

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by Adobe Stock/Tom

Are bats endangered? Want to know how to attract bats to your backyard? Learn how to help these beneficial animals as well as build a bat house to bring bats to your backyard.

Are Bats Endangered?

Of the 46 bat species that live in the United States and Canada, most have experienced serious population declines over the past half century. Six are on the federal endangered species list: the gray bat, the Indiana bat, the lesser long-nosed bat, the Mexican long-nosed bat, the Virginia big-eared bat, and the Ozark big-eared bat. Here are a few ways you can help, and have bats help control mosquito populations in your back yard.

Avoid Caves and Abandoned Mines

Many factors, from general habitat degradation to the widespread use of insecticides that reduce the bats’ foraging options, contribute to their overall decline. But the primary cause is the loss of hibernacula: places in which the mammals can hibernate without human disturbance. When you’re a bat, a cave or abandoned mine with a stable temperature above freezing is the ideal place to hang out for the winter. For decades, federal and state agencies have worked to install gates that allow bats to go in and out of caves and unused mines, but prevent access by people. Still, many mines and caves remain unprotected. If you know of a cave or abandoned mine where bats live, stay away from it — particularly during the hibernation season, from late summer through spring — and report its presence to wildlife officials for possible protection.

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