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DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Help Protect Bats
During 'Bat Week'
Published: October 25, 2026
at 03:00 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Help Protect Bats
During 'Bat Week'
Outdoor Enthusiasts Encouraged to Refrain from
Visiting Caves and Mines During the Fall and Winter Months
Celebrate Bat Week from Oct. 24-31; Video Interview with DEC Biologist Available
In observance of
Bat Week and to raise awareness about the critical role of bats in the
environment, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) encourages outdoor enthusiasts to refrain from visiting caves and
mines during the fall and winter months to reduce human disturbance to
endangered and threatened bats. Bat Week is observed Oct. 24-31 annually and is
organized by representatives from conservation groups and government
agencies in the United States and Canada to build support for the
conservation of bats – a frequently misunderstood species.
“During Bat Week,
DEC is highlighting the important role bats play in our environment and
natural ecosystem and that we all should do what we can to help protect New
York's at-risk bat populations while they’re hibernating in caves and
mines,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “Disturbing
bats from their hibernation patterns can cause unnecessary harm to their
systems and recovery. When outdoors this time of year, please do not
venture into caves and move away quietly to ensure bats can remain in their
natural hibernation patterns.”
These nocturnal
flying mammals are more helpful to people than harmful, with most species
having absolutely no interest in biting other mammals. There are nine
species of bats in New York, all of which are insectivores that help
control pest populations across the state. Their voracious appetites for
insects help limit the amount of pesticides used
for crops and gardens, reduce mosquitoes, and may help limit the spread of
invasive insects in New York.
Of the nine bat
species found in New York, six are cave bats that hibernate in caves and
mines throughout the winter. Three tree bat species migrate to warmer
areas. All these bats need to build up fat stores in the fall to make sure
they have enough energy to carry them through their long hibernation or
migration. They do this by consuming up to their bodyweight in
insects each night. During this time, known as the fall swarm, bats are
also congregating in large numbers to mate. For cave bats, this means they
are using their hibernation sites to find potential mates before hunkering
down inside for the upcoming winter, making these sites even more valuable
to them.
Bats spend the
winter hibernating in caves and mines where relatively constant, warm
temperatures protect these mammals from harsh winter temperatures above
ground. The health of bats is particularly vulnerable to human visitation
to winter "hibernacula," and especially harmful since the arrival
of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in 2007, a fungus that
has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in the state.
If bats are
disturbed during hibernation, they raise their body temperature, depleting
crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy
available to the bats until the weather warms in
spring and insects become readily available. The more frequently bats are
disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the long winter months
underground without eating.
In recent years,
scientists have found evidence of recovery of the once-common little brown bat throughout New York State. While
this seeming stabilization provides a hopeful outlook after more than a
decade of devastating population declines, similar evidence of
stabilization has not been seen for other severely affected bat
species.
DEC reminds the
public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines.
If bats are discovered hibernating in a cave, DEC urges visitors to leave
quickly and quietly to minimize disturbance. Anyone entering a listed
bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation
period for bats, may be subject to prosecution.
Other ways to
help protect bats in New York include:
- Limiting tree removal to the winter months
(Dec 1. – Feb. 28 in Suffolk County or Nov 1. – Mar 31. elsewhere) to
protect bats from harm. During the active season (spring through early
fall), bats roost in trees and form maternity colonies to rear their pups,
so tree removal during this season can potentially harm bats using
trees for these behaviors. Plant a pollinator garden to increase prey
availability for bats, who feed on insects;
- Putting up a bat box on your property to
offer bats a summer roost safe from predators and human activity (see options for bat box designs and DIY instructions);
and
- Contacting a bat-certified Nuisance Wildlife
Control Operator (NWCO) when looking to remove bats safely from your
home (find a list of NWCOs in your area).
For more
information on bats, including state and federally listed species like
Indiana bat and Northern long-eared bat, visit DEC’s website.
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