Misunderstood Bats: Nature’s Nighttime Helpers

Lots of folks are terrified of bats. But why? All the scary movies with vampires sucking your blood help fuel our fears. So let’s find out what’s true and false about bats and why they’re one of my favorite animals. 

Seventeen species of bats live in North Carolina, and many make their homes in the western part of the state, including the little brown bat, big brown bat, and the tricolored bat. They live in caves, hollow trees, old barns, and even under bridges. And bats are the only mammals on Earth that can truly fly. Wait, what about flying squirrels?

Well, flying squirrels don’t actually fly, but glide. By stretching out a flap of skin between their legs, they glide between trees. Whereas bats actually fly by flapping their wings. 

When bats come out at dusk, they’re looking for insects and are incredible hunters. In a single hour, one bat can eat up to a thousand mosquitoes. So, at our house, we want as many bats around as possible. Bats also snack on bugs that damage crops and forests. Farmers especially depend on bats because they help reduce the need for pesticides, saving them billions of dollars. 

So here’s some surprising things people don’t usually know about bats. You’ve heard the myth “blind as a bat?” Well, they aren’t blind at all. Most species can see just fine in low light, and they also use echolocation, which lets them “see” with sound. They send out tiny squeaks and read the echoes bouncing off objects. With this ability, a bat can track a single mosquito in the dark or sense something as thin as one strand of hair. Now that’s cool.

So do bats suck blood? Not in the US. In South America, three species of bats feed on the blood of cows and other livestock, but not usually humans. Whew, that’s a relief. 

And this is cool. A mom bat can find her pup among hundreds by recognizing just its voice and smell, which is a superpower in a crowded nursery. Moms will also adopt or nurse abandoned pups. While our bats in North Carolina eat insects, bats in tropical areas help pollinate plants and spread seeds, which means some of your favorite foods, like bananas, mangoes, and chocolate, exist partly because of bats.

One myth that refuses to disappear is that bats get tangled in your hair. Dale & I once had fifteen million bats fly over our heads at Bracken Cave in Texas. Not a single bat touched us. They’re expert fliers and can dodge objects, including humans, with incredible accuracy.

Another myth? All bats carry rabies. Nope. Less than 1% of wild bats have the disease, and fewer than 2 people die from bat rabies each year. You are more likely to be killed by a cow! Just don’t try to pick up a sick or injured bat. If you find a bat on the ground or inside your home, don’t panic; call a wildlife rehabilitator.

Yet, like most animals, they’re facing major challenges. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that infects bats during winter hibernation, has devastated bat populations. The fungus wakes them up repeatedly, causing them to burn through their stored energy too early. With no insects to eat in winter, many bats don’t survive. Scientists and conservation groups are working hard to protect bats and slow the spread of this disease, but there’s still no cure.

So bats need our help now more than ever. Leaving old trees standing for roosts, avoiding caves in winter so hibernating bats aren’t disturbed, and installing bat houses are simple ways to support them. Watching bats swoop through the sky at dusk always reminds me that they’re busy neighbors working hard to keep our forests, farms, and backyards healthy. The more we learn about bats, the easier it is to care about and protect them. And maybe, even fall in love.