(WWSB) – Florida’s four-month bat maternity season starts Sunday and lasts through Aug. 14.
The FWC is reminding the public that they cannot do exclusions to remove bats from buildings during this time when bats are giving birth and raising their young.
Homeowners and building managers who need to exclude bats roosting in houses or other structures can do so as long as it is not done during maternity season.
“Maternity season begins in mid-April when groups of bats gather to give birth and raise young, and continues through mid-August when young bats are able to fly and feed themselves,” said Melissa Tucker of the FWC’s Species Conservation Planning Section.
There are several ways that Florida residents and visitors can help bats:
- Preserve natural roost sites, including trees with cavities and peeling bark. Dead fronds left on palms can also provide roosting spots for bats.
- Put up a bat house.
- Report unusual bat behavior to: MyFWC.com/BatMortality.
Tucker said, “Bats are beneficial to Florida, since they consume many insects, including pests that can significantly damage agricultural crops.”
Find out more on what an exclusion is and how to do it here.
