It’s Bat Week! Like all winged creatures, bats have a dear place in my heart. Contrary to old tales, they are not a menace, but a help to our ecosystem and ultimately to us. Here are three fun facts from the Bat Week website:
—The smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat. This wee bat is little enough to hug your finger and weighs less than a penny.
—There’s no truth to the saying “blind as a bat.” Bats have eyesight comparable to ours. However, most species find their way around and locate prey using echolocation, which means they emit very high-pitched sounds that bounce off obstacles in their path.
—Almost 70% of bat species feed primarily on insects. That includes mosquitoes. Many bats eat pollen, nectar, or fruit, and are vital for pollinating flowers and spreading seeds.
If you live in an area where there are bats, and you have a bug problem, you can hang a few bat boxes and see if it helps.
Plus, bats are just cool.
Unfortunately, bats are in decline because of pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change. There is also a nasty fungal disease called White-Nose Syndrome. It has killed more than six million bats in the U.S. and Canada in only eight years. The fungus grows on the bare skin of the bats while they’re hibernating. It makes the bats more active when they’re supposed to be zonked out in their hibernation, so they burn up the fat they need to survive the winter and they starve.
But you can help! Some tips from the White-Nose Syndrome website:
—Reduce disturbance to natural bat habitats around your home. For example, reduce outdoor lighting, minimize tree clearing, and protect streams and wetlands.
—If bats are in your home and you don’t want them there, work with your local natural resource agency to exclude or remove them without hurting them after the end of maternity season.
—Plant a pollinator garden.
—Stay out of caves and mines where bats are hibernating.
—Report unusual bat behavior to your state natural resource agency, including bats flying during the day when they should be hibernating (December through March) and bats roosting in sunlight on the outside of structures. More difficult to tell is unusual behavior when bats are not hibernating (April through September), but they shouldn’t be roosting in sunlight or flying in the middle of the day. If you see a bat that cannot fly or is struggling to get off the ground, call your state natural resource agency. Try not to handle the bat. Like all wildlife, they can carry diseases, but also, you don’t want to stress our little friend out.
And now, today’s candy: Candy bats! Of course! These are great as a garnish on cupcakes.
And a little extra, my favorite True Facts video by Ze Frank. Maybe don’t watch it at work or around little kids, heh.
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