Bats are an important part of Florida’s ecosystem. They are are natural predators for night-flying insects such as mosquitoes, which can carry diseases like West Nile and Zika. They also serve a valuable role in pollinating plants that produce food for animals and humans alike. However, not everyone appreciates having them around their home or business. If you want to know more about bats in Florida then read on.
Are Bats in Florida Dangerous?
Bats native to Florida are not typically aggressive and will avoid contact with humans if given the opportunity. The danger lies in their feces which can contain fungal spores that cause a lung disease called histoplasmosis. If you suspect that bats are roosting in your Florida house, it is best that you contact a professional wildlife removal company to safely remove them and clean up the bat feces.
Bat Species in Florida
There are 13 different bat species found in Florida. The most common ones typically encountered by homeowners are the Brazilian free-tailed bat, Evening bat, Southeastern Myotis, Seminole bat, Eastern red bat, and the Northern yellow bat. Then there are the less common ones like the Tricolored bat, Gray myotis, Big brown bat, hoary bat, and the Rafinesque’s big-eared bat.
Common Species in Florida
Brazilian free tailed bat
The Brazilian free-tailed bat is the most common species in Florida. They have brown fur and a wingspan of 12-14 inches across. A colony can be recognized by its musky smell from afar due to a scent gland on its body that emits such a strong smell it has been mistaken for their feces! These bats may often roost in bat houses, near or inside buildings even under bridges where they are usually found at night feeding on insects like mosquitoes and moths.
Seminole Bat
The Seminole bat is another common bat species in Florida. These bats have mahogany-colored fur that has a patch of white on the wrist and shoulders. Their wingspan typically measures 11 to 13 inches across. Additionally, they are a close cousin of the eastern red bat and are almost identical in their appearance. They are known for roosting in Spanish moss and pine trees and usually feed on insects like moths and flies around streetlights.
Evening Bat
Evening bats are another common species of bats in Florida. These bats like to live in colonies of up to 70 bats and are usually dark brown in color. Their wingspan measures about 10-11 inches across and mostly eats beetles, moths, flies, and other flying insects which they catch at night. They are known to roost on dead trees’ cavities and Spanish moss but can also be found roosting on bridges, buildings, and utility poles.
Eastern Red Bat
The eastern red bat is a solitary bat common in Florida. These bats are known for their orange to yellow-brownish fur with a distinct white mark on their shoulders. They are often confused for the Seminole bats as they look almost identical in appearance and size. Their pointed wings typically measure about 11 – 13 inches across and they often feed on insects that are attracted to light. They like to roost in trees instead of caves and are known to migrate long distances.
Northern Yellow Bat
The northern yellow bat is a solitary bat found in Florida. Their thick yellow to grayish-brown fur keeps them well hidden in their preferred roosting spot, dead palm fronds. They have a wingspan of 14 – 16 inches and are known to feed on insects like moths, flying ants, flies, leafhoppers, beetles, and other flying insects.
Southeastern Myotis
The Southeastern Myotis bat is another common species of bat found in Florida. These bats live in large maternal colonies of a few hundred to thousands. They have thick, dark gray, and russet fur. Their wingspan measures around 9 – 11 inches across and they typically eat insects such as moths, cane flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects that they can catch while flying low over the water.
Uncommon Species in Florida
Big Brown Bat
Big brown bats are large colonial bats found in Florida. They have wingspans of 13 – 14 inches across and depending on their geo-location could be reddish-brown, dark-brown, or copper in color. These bats are known to eat insects such as beetles, moths, flies, and mosquitoes. It is sometimes confused with the evening bat, however, the big brown bat is noticeably larger in size. These bats are known to roost in attics, barns, buildings, bridges, and bat houses. Generally, big brown bat colonies include a dozen to a few hundred bats.
Florida Bonneted Bat
The Florida bonneted bat is Florida’s largest bat. It got its name from its large ears that slant forward to their eyes resembling a “bonnet”. They were previously called Wagner’s mastiff but were then reclassified as a species native to Florida. Their fur is dark to brownish-gray in color and has a wingspan of around 18 to 21 inches. These bats are colonial and like to roost in buildings, bat houses, tree cavities, and mountain crevices.
Velvety Free Tailed Bat
The velvety free-tailed bat or otherwise known as Pallas’ mastiff is a medium-sized colonial bat found in Florida. They are dark brown to dark-gray in color and have a wingspan of around 10 – 11 inches across. Their fur is velvety which gives them their name. These bats mostly feed on small winged insects like moths, beetles, flies, and other flying insects that they can find. They like to roost in buildings, barns, attics, basements, and crawl spaces in colonies of 50 to several hundred individuals.
Tri Colored Bat
The Tricolored bat is Florida’s smallest bat with a wingspan of about 8 to 10 inches. They are solitary bats in the winter and prefer to roost in caves by their lonesome. In the summer they like to roost in barns, basements, or attics and form small maternal colonies of a few dozen individuals. Its distinguishing mark is the pink color of the skin in its forearms that starkly contrasts the dark color of its wing. They are insectivores like most other bats and like to eat smaller winged insects like mosquitoes and flying ants.
Hoary Bat
Hoary bats are Florida’s 2nd largest bats and the largest of all the tree bats with a wingspan of around 14 to 16 inches. They are solitary bats that roost alone in Spanish moss or tree cavities or foliage. These bats feed mostly on insects such as flies, leafhoppers, moths, and sometimes wasp and dragonflies. They have black or gray frosted fur and an orange-yellowish collar on their throat.
Gray bats or Gray myotis
Gray bats are an endangered species of bats found in Florida. These bats live in small colonies of a few hundred to several thousand that like to roost on caves or sometimes in buildings, trees, and bridges. They have a wingspan of 12 – 13 inches across. They have uniformly gray fur and their diet consists mostly of moths and other small flying insects such as beetles and leafhoppers.
Importance of Bats in Florida’s Ecosystem
Bats are a crucial component of Florida’s ecosystem. They help to control the insect population including mosquitoes that carry diseases like malaria, Zika, and West Nile Virus. In some cases, bats can eat up to 3000 mosquito-sized insects every hour with one bat weighing about an ounce eating over 2000 pounds of bugs per year! They are also a crucial component in pollinating plants and fruits such as figs, avocados, bananas, and mangos.
Bats and Rabies
Bats actually are not the only mammals that can carry rabies. In fact, among all types of animals, raccoons and foxes have a higher incidence rate than bats do in Florida. Bats typically eat insects which is why they’re less likely to come into contact with people; however, it’s still possible for them to contract this disease through other means besides biting someone or being bitten by an infected animal themselves. Luckily every type of native bat found in Florida feeds on insects rather than any other animal unlike some species such as vampire bats who feed off blood.
Bat Removal in Florida
If you are experiencing bat infestation or there are bats roosting in your home, it’s important to call a professional for removal. Bats can carry rabies and other diseases that are serious if inhaled from the droppings of these animals. AAAC Wildlife Removal and Pest Control offer humane bat removal and exclusion services.
Excluding bats outside is an option by ensuring they cannot enter into buildings, barns, ventilation systems with mesh screens that prevent them from entering their desired location like attics, basements, or homes. It’s recommended to seal off any openings on houses near trees where they might have easy access inside.
Learn more about Bat Removal
Bat Exclusion
Sometimes bats may find their way into a house or attic space. If this happens, then it is important to exclude them from the building in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. AAAC Wildlife removal offers exclusion services to Florida homeowners who suspect bats to be in their home or building. Call us today for advise!
FAQs
Do bats stay in Florida year round?
Some bat species hibernate and some migrate to warmer climates for the winter, and others do both. In temperate regions like Florida where winters are milder than in other parts of the country, it is possible that bats may be able to stay year-round.
What is bat guano?
Bat guano is another term for bat droppings and is great to use as fertilizer as it helps promote plant growth. However, guano is also quite harmful when they build up in home attics or basements as they carry fungal spores that if inhaled could cause a deadly lung disease called histoplasmosis.
Can you kill bats in Florida?
Bats are protected by Florida laws and it’s illegal to kill or harm them. If they are in your home, the best way to get rid of the bats is to exclude them from the building. Exclusion is a humane way of getting them out safely without hurting them.
Can I do bat exclusion myself?
Bats in Florida cannot be excluded without a permit during the maternity season. This is the period between April 15 to August 15 when flightless young bats are present in the colony. If you have bats in your attic or basement during this period, talk to us! We’ll walk you through the process of getting a permit.
