The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging residents to help protect bats during Wisconsin Bat Week and International Bat Week this October.
Bats play an important role in the environment by eating large numbers of insects, including agricultural pests and mosquitoes. However, several of Wisconsin’s eight bat species are threatened, largely due to white-nose syndrome, a disease that affects bats during winter hibernation.
State surveys have shown signs of recovery among little brown bats at some locations, but other species, including the northern long-eared bat and tricolored bat, have not shown similar improvement.
The D-N-R encourages residents to help by installing bat houses, planting native vegetation, avoiding pesticides and herbicides, and volunteering for bat monitoring programs.
Residents can also attend educational events throughout October to learn more about Wisconsin’s bats and how to protect them. A list of events is available at BatWeek.org.
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