Bat Week is an annual, international celebration held October 24–31 to raise awareness about bat conservation and the vital roles bats play in our ecosystem. In New York, Bat Week highlights the state’s nine native bat species and their essential contributions to curbing insect pests and supporting agricultural protection and production.
Individual insectivorous bats can catch up to 1,000 mosquitoes and other biting midges per hour, significantly reducing localized populations near wetlands and parks. Bats also suppress destructive crop and forest insects, including outbreaks of spongy moths, saving agricultural and timber industries significant economic loss.
A healthy insect population is important to maintaining bat populations. To help support bats, readers are encouraged to avoid the use of pesticide applications and to plant pollinator gardens that attract nighttime insects, like moths and beetles. Creating and protecting clean water sources can also be beneficial to provide a safe source of water for bats to drink from.
