With winter in full swing now, many animals have migrated south for the winter, while a number of others are sticking it out and hibernating in place right in their northern climes. In the case of bats, it depends on the individual species, with some types of bats remaining in the north, while others head south for the winter. Some, like the Mexican free-tailed bats, will head south for the winter and roost in Mexico the entire time, while others such as the hoary bat will stay up north and simply ride out winter. Many other bats roost in Northern New Mexico or the Southern United States, because it’s easier for them to control body temperature in warmer weather, and because the food supply is much more plentiful in those areas.
Hibernating bats
Some species of bats like the brown bats, prefer to simply go to sleep for the winter and ride out the cold weather. During hibernation, such bats can have their heart rate dropped from 300 beats per minute all the way down to ten beats per minute, and their body temperature can approach freezing level without them being particularly harmed.
It is possible for bats to remain in this state of hibernation for anywhere between several hours and several months, before re-merging from their deep sleep back into the natural setting. Bats can find a great many places to hibernate during the cold weather, including rock formations, caves or old mines, and in some cases even the residences of humans. Any of the specific locations chosen for hibernation will have adequate temperature and humidity to allow the bat to survive during the cold weather season.
Just before the hibernation, during late fall or early winter, is the time when bats will mate for the season. However, that’s not quite when their young are produced, because the female bats will actually store the sperm in their bodies until springtime, before allowing fertilization to take place. This ensures that offspring are born into a more benign climate which is suitable for their growth and development. If the bats were to reproduce at the same time that mating occurs, young bats would be born during hibernation time, and would basically have to fend for themselves.
Getting rid of bats
If your home has become something of a nesting ground for bats during winter time, it will always be more advantageous for you to engage the services of a professional pest remover, rather than attempting to eliminate them yourself. The first thing a professional will do is find out exactly how the bats gained entrance to your home, and make sure that all those areas are tightly sealed up, so the bats can’t find their way in again next year. Then the bats will be tracked down one by one and removed humanely, so that they are no longer unwanted residents of your household. Because their entry points have been completely sealed up, you should have no problem next winter with unwanted bats.
