Wildlife Watch: Living with bats

FERRISBURGH, Vt. (WCAX) - This is the time of year when there are more human and bat interactions and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife starts getting calls.

Experts say that’s because this is the time of year when young bats start to fly, so the number of bats around your property can really increase if they’re living nearby. And the young bats aren’t great at flying yet, so they can get into trouble.

So what should you do if you see signs of bats? You can start by checking Fish and Wildlife’s website for advice.

Experts say just because you see bats, doesn’t mean you need to get rid of the bats.

“They are feeding on a lot of insects, so a lot of people want them on their yard still, just not in the structure,” said Alyssa Bennett, a small mammal biologist with Fish and Wildlife. “Obviously, you don’t want to be in direct contact with any kind of wildlife because there are diseases they can transmit to us and that we can transmit to them, such as COVID. So, we do take precautions and try to find out how we can help people get them out of their living space particularly and structure if there is concerns.”

Watch the video to see our Ike Bendavid’s full interview with Alyssa Bennett. And you can check Fish and Wildlife’s website for much more on bats.

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