International bat appreciation day!

Tricolored bat, Pete Pattavina, USFWS

Get ready to celebrate our world’s only flying mammal! Every year on April 17, conservationists and nature enthusiasts around the globe come together to recognize International Bat Appreciation Day. Of the over 1400 species of bats on our planet, 10 species call Ohio home.  All our native bats are microbats—small, insect eating bats ranging in size from 2.5 to 6 inches long in body length. Of these 10 species, 6 of them have been hibernating through the winter in caves and abandoned mines. These include the tri-colored bat (Ohio’s smallest bat), the northern long-eared bat, big brown bat, little brown bat, small-footed bat, and Indiana bat (federally endangered). Meanwhile, the remaining 4 species will be returning from a southern migration. In spring and summer months we will see these species, which include the red bat, evening bat, silver-haired bat, and the hoary bat (the largest Ohio bat). 

Big Brown Bat, Leah Riley, USFWS

Many myths and misconceptions persist about bats, and bringing awareness and appreciation for these ecologically valuable animals helps to improve public perception and tolerance. For instance, do you love chocolate? Then get ready to thank a bat because bats in areas like Indonesia help control the pests that eat and damage cacao trees. Do you enjoy corn on the cob? Then thank a bat! Bats also feed on the corn earworm pest and save corn producers globally an estimated 1 billion dollars in pest control. Yet despite all the ecological benefits bats provide, they face many conservation challenges. From disease like white nose syndrome—an invasive fungus which causes mortality during hibernation—to habitat loss to human persecution, bat population numbers are dropping. But we can help!

Many folks are familiar with and have bird houses on their property, but we would love to see more bat houses in our communities. Bat houses provided shelter space for bats and roosts where moms can raise their young pups in maternity colonies. To attract bats, you can plant night blooming flowers which will bring the insect food supply bats need.

For ideas on bat houses and more bat facts, check out the Ohio Bat Working Group website at https://u.osu.edu/obwg/ 
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