When left to roost and nest in dark crevices, bats will leave droppings that give off a foul odor and can cause structural damage to your home. They're also known to carry diseases that can pose a health hazard to you and your family, requiring prompt bat control services. Despite the destruction that these winged mammals bring, they must never be harmed or eliminated since they play a vital role in the ecosystem.

The Importance of Bats in the Environment

1. Pest Control

Bats are generally insectivorous, which means they consume insects and pests as part of their diet. As predators, they keep bugs and crop-damaging pests at bay by eating them. Species like Mexican free-tailed bats, brown bats, and pallid bats feed on beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets that typically destroy crops, saving farmers from spending on harmful pesticides to protect their harvests. Bats are considered nature’s most effective pest management service, reducing billions of dollars’ worth of crop damage and the need for pesticide use. That’s why ethical bat control involves keeping these mammals alive and safe.    

2. Seed Dispersers

Some bat species are fruit-eating, sometimes called frugivorous. Like their insect-eating counterparts, these bats play a critical ecological role in dispersing seeds into other areas such as land clearings and fragmented forests, jumpstarting possible regrowth or reforestation. Unlike birds, fruit bats tend to cover larger distances at night and can defecate while flying. When the bat-dispersed seeds fall onto the ground, they can begin germinating and growing thanks to the natural fertilizer from the feces.

3. Pollinators

Bats are among nature’s most prolific pollinators. Nectar-feeding bats are essential in pollinating hundreds of tropical and subtropical plant species, including cactus, mango, durian, banana, peach, cocoa, and agave. Long-nosed and long-tongued bats are a few of the species responsible for pollinating flowering plants to produce seeds and fruits. Without bats as pollinators, some plants may be unable to reproduce and survive.      

Because of their ecological importance, bats are protected and must not be trapped or relocated. For effective, ethical bat control, trust the professionals at American Bio-Tech Wildlife Services. Based in New Milford, they provide humane animal control services throughout Connecticut. Call (860) 355-1231 to schedule animal removal or check out their website for more information on bat control.