DEC ENCOURAGES NEW YORKERS TO HELP PROTECT BATS DURING 'BAT WEEK'
Outdoor Enthusiasts Encouraged to Refrain from Visiting Caves and Mines During the Fall and Winter Months
Don’t be ghoulish to our fanged friends this spooky season
Interview with DEC Wildlife Biologist Ashley Meyer is available here
In observance of Bat Week and to raise awareness about the critical role of bats in the environment, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) encourages outdoor enthusiasts to refrain from visiting caves and mines during the fall and winter months to reduce human disturbance to endangered and threatened bats. Bat Week is observed October 24-31 annually and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the United States and Canada to build support for the conservation of bats – a frequently misunderstood species.
“Protecting New York’s bats is essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems and conserving our state’s wildlife for future generations,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “During Bat Week, DEC is reminding New Yorkers that disturbing hibernating bats can threaten their survival, particularly as they face ongoing challenges to recovery. By avoiding caves and mines and allowing bats to hibernate undisturbed, we can all play a role in protecting these important species.”
These nocturnal flying mammals are more helpful to people than harmful, with most species having absolutely no interest in biting other mammals. There are nine species of bats in New York, all of which are insectivores that help control pest populations across the state. Their voracious appetites for insects help limit the amount of pesticides used for crops and gardens, reduce mosquitoes, and may help limit the spread of invasive insects in New York.
Of the nine bat species found in New York, six are cave bats that hibernate in caves and mines throughout the winter. Three tree bat species migrate to warmer areas. All these bats need to build up fat stores in the fall to make sure they have enough energy to carry them through their long hibernation or migration. They do this by consuming up to their bodyweight in insects each night. During this time, known as the fall swarm, bats are also congregating in large numbers to mate. For cave bats, this means they are using their hibernation sites to find potential mates before hunkering down inside for the upcoming winter, making these sites even more valuable to them.
Bats spend the winter hibernating in caves and mines where relatively constant, warm temperatures protect these mammals from harsh winter temperatures above ground. The health of bats is particularly vulnerable to human visitation to winter "hibernacula," and especially harmful since the arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in 2006, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in the state.
Both WNS and human visitation cause bats to rouse more frequently than they typically do throughout the hibernation season.
If bats are disturbed during hibernation, they raise their body temperature, depleting crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring and insects become readily available. The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the long winter months underground without eating.
In recent years, scientists have found evidence of recovery of the once-common little brown bat throughout New York State. While this seeming stabilization provides a hopeful outlook after more than a decade of devastating population declines, similar evidence of stabilization has not been seen for other severely affected bat species.
DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. If bats are discovered hibernating in a cave, DEC urges visitors to leave quickly and quietly to minimize disturbance. Anyone entering a listed bat hibernation site from October 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution.
Other ways to help protect bats in New York include:
- Limiting tree removal to the winter months (December 1 – February 28 in Suffolk County or November 1 – March 31 elsewhere) to protect bats from harm. During the active season (spring through early fall), bats roost in trees and form maternity colonies to rear their pups, so tree removal during this season can potentially harm bats using trees for these behaviors.
- Planting a pollinator garden to increase prey availability for bats, who feed on insects;
- Putting up a bat box on your property to offer bats a summer roost safe from predators and human activity (see options for bat box designs and DIY instructions here);
- Keeping cats indoors to prevent their predation of bats; and
- Contacting a bat-certified Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) when looking to remove bats safely from your home (find a list of NWCOs in your area here).
For more information on bats, including state and federally listed species like Indiana bat and Northern long-eared bat, visit DEC’s website.
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