Bat Week kicked off on Tuesday across the country, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is highlighting the importance of bats in the state.
Michigan is home to nine species of bats, and the DNR said bats are one of the longest-lived mammals in the region, with some as old as 31 years.
All of the bat species in Michigan are insectivores, and their membranous wings have different structures than birds or insects.
"Although we rarely see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating insects, pollinating flowers and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees," the DNR said.
They are most often found in forested habitats near water, and under normal conditions, they can capture up to 600-1,000 mosquito-sized insects per hour.
During Bat Week, and all year long in Michigan, the DNR said you can help with these tips
- Leave your leaves to help local insects over winter
- Plant a bat-friendly garden with native Michigan species
- Remove invasive species that threaten native plant population
- Install a bat house in a location not frequented by people
- Help reduce the spread of white-nose syndrome by not entering closed mines
White-nose syndrome is a deadly disease that affects North American bats mostly during their winter hibernation. Infected bats wake up early, rapidly deplete their fat preserves and are unable to survive the winter.
Bats in Michigan often hibernate in warmer areas like caves or mines, and others will migrate to warmer areas to find places to hibernate.
An infected bat will have unusual behavior, according to the DNR.
Below are the nine species of bat in Michigan
- Little brown bat
- Northern long-eared bat
- Evening bat
- Hoary bat
- Big brown bat
- Tricolored bat
- Indiana bat
- Silver-haired bat
- Red bat
