Alabama’s Natural Pest Control Technician the Eastern Red Bat
The eastern red bat can be found in many areas across the southern U.S., but Alabama is one of their favorite spots to create a colony. Of the 16 bat species in the Yellowhammer State, eastern red bats are among the most common. Their population is so great the Alabama Bat Working Group notes that the species has the lowest conservation concern.
Some people fear bats, but our expert pest control technicians love them. Eastern red bats make our job a little easier by helping keep bug populations in check.
All About the Eastern Red Bat
Eastern red bat colonies can be found across Alabama. You may hear people call them by various names like red bat, tree bat or their scientific name, Lasiurus borealis.
They are very identifiable because their medium-sized bodies are covered in fur. Even their wings are fuzzy and hairy. The interesting coloration of their white-tipped fur has earned the eastern red bat the designation of being the most beautiful bat in Alabama.
Eastern red bats have a wingspan of about 12 inches, but they only weight up to 0.5 ounces. They tend to breed in the autumn then give birth to around four baby bats in the spring.
How the Eastern Red Bat Help Alabama Homeowners
With the eastern red bat, Alabama residents really don’t have anything to worry about. They prefer to live in the forest far away from humans. They’ll roost high up in coniferous and deciduous trees hanging by one foot instead of two. You won’t likely spot them because they resemble leaves.
Homeowners that live near the woods or along the edge of the forest benefit the most from having eastern red bats around. They prefer to forage at the tree lines and along roads in the woods. Eastern red bats have also been known to live in wooded urban areas where they pick off insects around streetlights.
Unlike some bat species, the eastern red bat tends to forage for food earlier in the evening when the sun is still low in the sky. Their favorite meals include many night-flying insects such as moths, cicadas, beetles and mosquitoes. That’s why they are so popular in Alabama. Eastern red bats are known for capturing these insects in their wings and eating them during flight.
Eastern red bats play an important role in natural pest control throughout Alabama. Unfortunately, it’s hard to attract them with a bat house. But Vulcan Termite and Pest Control Inc. can help you keep insects under control when eastern red bats aren’t around. Give us a call today to learn about our termite control, mosquito control and custom pest control treatments.
Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/education-and-prevention/alabamas-natural-pest-control-technician-eastern-red-bat/