Bats are an important part of our ecosystem in Florida, as the only major predator of night-flying insects. To ensure bats continue providing natural pest control, all bats in Florida are protected. Bat roosts are provided extra protection during certain times of the year.
It’s bat maternity season
Late spring and summer is when female bats give birth to their “pups” (aka, baby bats). Female bats often live together in a group (known as a colony) to raise their pups. A “roost” is where a colony lives. Bats roost in natural features such as trees, palms, rock crevices, and caves. Occasionally, a colony is found in human-made structures, such as buildings, tile roofs, bridges, culverts, or a “bat house“.
Each female bat typically has only 1 pup each year. In Florida, pups are generally born in April or May and pups can’t fly until July or August. A colony of female bats (known as a maternity colony) will use the same roost from April to August. Each night, the pups remain inside the roost while the adult females leave the roost to find food. The pups rely on their mothers returning each morning to feed them.
All 13 species of bats in Florida are protected year-round
It is illegal to kill, harm, or harass any bats at any time of year. From April 16th to August 14th, it is additionally unlawful to destroy bat roosts or block the exit/entrance to bat roosts (Bats in Buildings | FWC). This is to protect maternity colonies with newborn bat pups. If roost exits are blocked, the bats can be trapped inside or the mothers may fly out in the evening and be unable to return. Either way, the pups will die of starvation. The decay of dead bats can produce offensive smells and attract pests.
Bats often roost for years in human-made structures and natural features without any conflict. Bats in Florida are small and can fit into a space the size of your thumb. Occasionally, if a structure or feature must be modified or removed, or if the the colony has become a health hazard, then the bats may need to be excluded. An “exclusion” is a multi-step process of installing a one-way exit that prevents bats from re-entering a roost. August 15th until April 15th is the allowable time to exclude bats. It is NOT legal to trap bats and relocate them.
There are rules for properly excluding bats
Fall and early winter is the best time to do an exclusion, which is after pups are grown and before pregnant female bats gather in maternity colonies. There are specific Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for properly conducting an exclusion. You may want to hire a professional to ensure the work is done properly. The document Has Your House Gone Batty? Facts about Bats provides useful information and resources to educate Florida homeowners on appropriate ways to deal with bats in buildings. Remember, bats are beneficial to the environment. Consider if bats are causing a problem before excluding them.
You can help monitor bat roosts
If you have a colony of bats nearby, you can help the Florida Bat Working Group in collaboration with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to monitor bat roosts, using the Florida Bat App. Maternity season is an especially useful time to monitor bat roosts and presence of young bats can be reported in the App.
For more information about bats, exclusions, or outreach opportunities, contact Dr. Shelly Johnson, UF/IFAS State Specialized Agent in Natural Resources in the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida.
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