With Florida’s bat maternity season fast approaching, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is urging residents to prep homes and buildings before the state’s 13 native bat species start raising their young.
Running from April 16 to August 14, this period sees mother bats birthing and nurturing pups—often in trees, caves, or, occasionally, human structures—prompting a call to action now to avoid legal and ecological headaches later.
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Bats are protected under Florida law, making it illegal to kill or harm them, and during maternity season, blocking their roosts risks trapping flightless pups inside—a lose-lose for bats and homeowners.
The FWC’s exclusion guidelines allow safe removal outside this window, using devices that let bats exit but not return, installed for at least four nights when overnight lows hit 50°F or higher. With the season looming, the agency stresses checking properties soon to sidestep violations.
Florida’s bats, all insectivores, are eco-heavyweights, gobbling up hundreds of pests like mosquitoes nightly and saving farmers billions in pest control costs.
The endangered Florida bonneted bat is among the lineup, alongside species that pollinate plants and enrich soil with guano.
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“They’re ecologically and economically beneficial,” the FWC notes, encouraging residents to preserve natural roosts—like cavity-filled trees or dead palm fronds—plant native flora, or install bat houses.
The public can pitch in by reporting odd bat behavior or deaths at MyFWC.com/BatMortality or joining the Florida Bat Force as volunteers.
For exclusion tips or help bat-proofing homes, visit MyFWC.com/Bats or contact an FWC Regional Office to consult a wildlife biologist. As spring nears, the message is clear: act now to keep Florida’s bats thriving—and your property compliant.
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