Be nice to these guys!

Bats have awaken from hibernation and are on the move!  They may look intimidating, but bats are actually pretty safe and help us out by feasting on mosquitoes and black flies.  Did you know that one bat can eat hundreds of insects per night?

Yes, you may have noticed a decline in our state's bat population over the past decade or so.  According the the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, White Nose Syndrome, which is a fungal disease that bats unfortunately acquire while they hibernate, has wiped out almost 90% of several of the most popular species in Maine.

Every year, bat lovers and animal biologists in Maine hope for a resurgence.  Could this be the year?

So do most bats carry rabies?  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 6% of bats have rabies.  The only way to really confirm if a bat has rabies is by testing it in a laboratory.  Other than that, if you find a bat acting weird, like being out during the day, laying on the ground and attempting to fly, there's a good chance that something is wrong with it.  Just know when to stay away.

Now if you're frightened that a bat may get in the house, make sure that you plug up the smallest of holes in walls, doors and screens, because bats are just like a mouse and can make themselves very small.

Bats are just another sign that spring is finally here in Maine! Put up a bat house, or maybe leave some dead trees up in the woods out in the backyard, so these furry insect eating little rodents feel at home!

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