Things You Want to Know About New York Bats

It won't be long before the Hudson Valley evening skies are full of bats. Some people are still afraid when they see a bat but it is actually a good thing if you see them flying around.

Hudson Valley bats will be emerging from the winter caves and ready-to-eat insects before you know it. New York is home to a variety of bats both Cave and Trees bats both of which can be misunderstood. Turns out they are a very beneficial animal to our evening skies.

Why Do You Want Bats Around Your House

Bats are fun to watch in the night sky and they are also very beneficial if you want to sit outside during the evening hours. Bats can catch up to 1,000 insects in an hour. That is an awful lot of mosquitoes. If you see a bat flying around think of it as nature's natural bug zapper.

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Bats are also pollinators. That's right just like the bees, the bat is responsible for helping our plants and trees flourish. Plus there is a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that says they eat enough pests to save us close to $1 billion a year in crop damage and pesticides.

How Do You Get A Bat Out of Your House

Most people's fear of a bat is the result of a bad bat experience like having one trapped in your house. If you do get a bat in your house it is very simple to get it out. Don't panic and start swinging with a broom that won't work.

Instead, simply open a door or window and they will fly out. Often a bat will fly around a room when they are stuck in a house. They are using their sonar and looking for a way out. So help them by staying calm and opening the door. Don't forget to open the screen too.

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What is White Nose Disease in Bats

Over the past few years, there has been an effort by Bat groups and the NYS DEC to protect bats from White-nose Syndrome. Bat hibernate during the winter in large groups in caves and old mines in New York. This syndrome causes them to lose their stored fat too fast over the winter and results in bats starving to death.

Officials have asked people to stay out of these caves so as not to disturb the bats and make them more susceptible to the disease which has been causing bats to die. The white fungus that causes this problem in bats spreads easily. This fungus and the syndrome are still trying to be understood.