Heads Up; Why You Need to Leave These Bats Alone

Did you know that Bats are protected in the State of New York? There are two species of protected bat in NY, the Indiana Bat and the Northern Long-Eared Bat (this bat is protected under federal law as well).

What does this mean for you? Pretty much it means that you need to leave them alone, especially during their hibernation, which goes from approximately October 1 to April 30.

The easiest way for you to 'just leave them alone' is for you to stay out of the over 100 caves in New York. According to the New York Department of Environmental Control (DEC) persons disturbing the hibernation are subject to prosecution.

Reasons we should like bats:

• They are flying mammals (hello, humans are mammals too
• According to National Wildlife Federation, they see with their ears. Yes, they are not actually blind and can see, but they use sonar to understand where they are and what they might possibly run into.
• They like to eat bugs. If you are having a small insect problem around your home, then you probably don't have bats in your area. Bats like to eat small insects, which keep them out of your way and out of your garden.