Halloween Bat Houses – Waterbury Roundabout

The beginning of fall sets bats on the move, making it an important time for conservation-minded Vermonters to learn about and help conserve Vermont’s nine native bat species.

And what better time than the last days of October for those observing Bat Week?

“Fall also means Halloween and scary images of bats, but it also provides an opportunity to bring positive attention to bats,” said Alyssa Bennett, small mammal and wildlife biologist with the Vermont. “We celebrate Bat Week in the days leading up to Halloween.”

Bat Week runs from October 24 to 31 and aims to raise awareness of the vital ecological functions of bats and dispel the many myths and misinformation about them.

“Vermont is home to several threatened and endangered bat species that we are working to conserve and recover,” Bennett added. “We hope Vermonters will support these efforts. Bats are a very important part of our natural world and, more than ever, they need our help.

Bat Tips

Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff offer tips on how to combat bats, from removing them from unwanted areas around your home to putting up bat-friendly structures to encourage bats. mice to settle in a safe place where they can thrive while feeding on large quantities of insects.

If you’ve noticed bats roosting in your attic, barn, or office during the summer, fall and spring are the perfect times to safely evict these uninvited guests from your property. Bats migrate between winter and summer roosts in the fall and spring and do not have vulnerable young at these times. You can learn how to safely evict bats from your building at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s. best management practices page.

Bat shelters provide an alternative location for evicted bats to safely remain in your garden and continue to eat huge quantities of insects which may be forestry, agricultural or human pests. Variety is important, so placing at least two bat houses with varying solar exposure to help bats find the right temperature ranges throughout the summer helps them raise their young with success. Find information on successful bat house design and placement online here.

Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, but require simple maintenance. Late fall or winter is a great time to look inside your bat house and make sure all the bats are gone before cleaning out abandoned wasp nests and planning the caulking or repainting required.

You can also contribute to bat conservation efforts by report large colonies of bats living in structures on the department’s website. Places with rare colonies of endangered species little brown bats are eligible for free bat shelters from Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

Anyone interested in learning more can visit the official Bat Week website at BatWeek.orgor email [email protected] for more information on what they can do right here in Vermont to promote bat conservation.