Minnesota Bats Face Huge Decline As Halloween Nears

With it being Halloween week, there's no better time to talk about a scary situation when it comes to our wildlife. Over 90% of little brown bats have died off in recent years in Minnesota. This can cause a big problem for our ecosystem. Bats may seem scary, but they play an important role.

White Nose Syndrome

Little brown bats in Minnesota have been greatly affected by white nose syndrome. It's a fungus that has been spreading in bats in North America. The white powdery fungus grows on the bat's face and skin. Over the winter, the fungus grows, and the bats come out of hibernation to search for food. They burn up their fat reserves and then don't survive the winter.

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Some of the little brown bats have evolved to be able to survive the white nose syndrome. The Minnesota DNR is working with several agencies to design and implement bat boxes. These boxes are places that can provide shelter for female bats raising pups.

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Little brown bats return to the same roosting site for many years. They can live as long as 32 years old! So getting the right location for a bat box can help rebuild the struggling population.

How A Bat Box Works

Bat boxes provide shelter and help the bats control the temperature necessary to raise their pups. They need the temperature to be between 86 - 104 degrees. Placing multiple bat boxes in a location can offer different temperature scenarios that the bats need.

You can read more on how to build your own bat box, where to put them, and other ways you can help save the bats in Minnesota.