17 Great Facts About Bats You May Not Know About

1. Did you know that Bats are great for protecting farmers crops from insects and flies? For example, a single colony of 150 brown bats can protect farmers cops from over 30 million root worms each and every summer

2. Did you know that they are extremely clean mammals and will clean and groom themselves on a consistent basis to keep their fur clean and soft

3. Did you know that Bats only bite in self-defense and are of no threat to people who do not attempt to handle them?

4. Indonesian fruit bats, other wise known as Flying foxes have wingspans that measure about six feet.

5. Did you know that there are over 1200 species of bat, which is about 25% of all species of mammal?

6. A very tiny pipistrelle bat has been known to consume up to 3,000 insects in a single night

7. Bats have more in common with people than with mice

8. They do not build nests but instead hang up or creep into crevices and cracks

9. Did you know that the Mexican free-tailed bat can find their young and nurse them as they cluster in their millions at up to 500 per square foot?

10. Did you know that Bats can often get into the homes of people and hang in their attics which is why people often resort to bat control to get rid of them?

11. Bats give very valuable pollination on and seed dispersal for figs, dates, almonds, cashews, mangoes, bread-fruit, peaches, and bananas

12. North American Red bats are able to live in temperatures that are as low as 23 degrees in winter time.

13. Bats are very vulnerable to extinction as they only give birth to one pup each year making them the slowest reproducing mammals that you will find.

14. Brown bats are able to hibernate for more than eight months if they are not disturbed but if they are awoken on too many occasions this can pose the risk of starvation.

15. Many fear contracting rabies from bats, but in fact less than 1% of bats carry rabies

16. When they are hibernating, brown bats are able to cut their heart rate to about 20 beats each minute and are able to stop breathing for over 45 minutes at a time whilst they are hibernating.

17. A female brown bat who is nursing can more than her whole body weight in a night which is over 4000 insects.

Find out more about bats, bat control and bat extermination to help you deal with any bat problem in your home.

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