The last weekend in August is a global celebration of Bats. Bats are iconic Halloween creatures but are often misunderstood regarding their threat to humans. This celebration serves to remind us of the important role bats play in daily life. Bats are key to the health of woodlands and forests, they pollinate many plants, including crops like bananas, mangoes and agave. They also disperse seeds and control harmful insect populations, bats eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.
International Bat Night is observed by thirty countries around the world to bring light to the necessity of preserving this nocturnal species. It informs the public about the needs and benefits of bats in nature. Long associated with all things dark and creepy, bats are in fact a friend to man. Even the feared Vampire Bat of South America has proved to be beneficial. Doctors have studied the anticoagulant qualities of their bites and have used that knowledge in developing medications for heart disease and stroke patients.
The expression “blind as a bat” comes from the assumption that a bat’s eyesight isn’t very good. Bats’ vision is actually better than that of humans; they can see incredibly well both day and night. Bats also have a kind of sonar (echolocation) that helps bats pinpoint the exact location of insects such as mosquitoes.
There are over 1,400 species of bats across the world, the Eastern Shore of Maryland has ten. Most of the bats native to the Eastern Shore are listed as ‘species of greatest conservation needs.” Some, such as the Eastern Small-footed bat are ranked as highly endangered and rare due to their habitat disturbance. The Little Brown Bat, also a “species of greatest conservation needs” and “highly rare” is vulnerable to predators during hibernation so they often roost in attics. Attics offer warmth, humidity, and shelter necessary for rearing young pups.
Due to human intervention, bats have been forced out of their preferred habitat, trees, while also being killed by pesticides. Bats have responded to habitat loss by adapting to other available habitats, including barns, attics, and churches.
My daughter, Cece, was pregnant with her first child in 2017 and bought a darling house on her favorite street in Easton. Despite a thorough home inspection, Cece learned that there was a maternity ward of bats in her attic. The Maryland Department advised Cece of Natural Resources to speak to a professional company that properly “excludes” bats. Our family loves bats so we absolutely wanted the bat family’s eviction to be safe for everyone involved. We learned that her bat tenants were one of the endangered species and needed to be protected. Great care was taken to help the bats during their removal, thankfully everyone was healthy, no bats were injured.
After the bat incident, I wrote a little story about Cece’s beloved house and the bats for her babies.
The little house on August Street was cheerful on the outside with its bright yellow paint but sad and lonely on the inside. She shared her life with a bat family that slept all day and kept her awake at night. Her friend, the grey house across the street would remind the little yellow house that she was old and should be glad that her life was quiet, but little yellow house missed the joys of a boisterous family filling up her rooms.
One day, a young couple with two dogs moved into the little yellow house. They played records all day long while cooking the most delicious food. The little yellow house was so proud of its freshly painted rooms. The dogs ran gleefully up and down the stairs and barked at the Bat family. The little yellow house was the happiest it had ever been.
The young couple came home in the spring with a beautiful baby girl. The little yellow house felt very warm and happy inside. The baby girl grew quickly; she loved her little yellow house and spent hours in the garden singing and playing. She would wave to the newborn bat pups in the attic.
The next winter, a new baby girl joined the family, and the little yellow house was brimming with joy. The two little girls decorated the house’s walls with beautiful drawings of their family, their dogs, rainbows, fairies, the bat family, and their beloved house. The girls, excited to go on an adventure every morning, burst out the front door, singing and laughing. Upon their return, the girls at the front door quietly whispered, “I love you,” to the little house. By the soft glow of candlelight, the evenings were filled with music, kitchen dinners, baths, and stories before bedtime.
Everyone, including the little yellow house slept soundly, the bat family had moved away.
One morning in the fall, the little yellow house once again heard the cries of a new baby, a boy. The little house felt warmer and happier than ever.
The big grey house across the street told the little yellow house that she looked her most beautiful now that she had her precious little family, and the little yellow house agreed.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
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