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News  How to help bats in Massachusetts

Learn about the 9 different species of bats found in Massachusetts, and what you can do to help support bat conservation.
6/01/2023
  • Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
  • MassWildlife's Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program

Media Contact   for How to help bats in Massachusetts

Media Contact, MassWildlife

Bat House

There are nine species of bats found in Massachusetts, five of those are listed as endangered. One of the greatest threats to bats is white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that impacts bats that spend their winters hibernating in caves and mines. Artificial bat houses provide clean homes for bats that are free of white-nose syndrome.  

Since 2020, MassWildlife has been working with partners and volunteers to construct, install, and monitor bat houses on Wildlife Management Areas and other locations across Massachusetts. This effort provides a safe roosting place for bats and raises awareness about the important role bats play in our environment. Properly constructed and strategically placed bat houses can be an important tool in assisting bat survival.  

With support from MassDOT, scout troops, and individual volunteers, the bat house project is off to a great start and is showing promising results. Some of the houses have been occupied by bats, and people are learning more about bat conservation. You can help the program continue to grow and support our native bats!

How to help:

  • Build a bat house: One of the best ways you can support bat conservation is to put up an artificial roost, like a bat house. Bat houses give females a safe, warm place to raise their young. Since most female bats only have one pup each year, bat populations grow very slowly. Additionally, due to habitat loss and degradation, it is becoming harder for bats to locate natural roost sites to raise their young. Installing a bat house on your property can provide a safe environment for bats, while protecting your yard from pest insects, like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Bat houses can be purchased, or you can build your own. You can find a guide to bat houses on MassWildlife’s website, including plans for building a bat house, installation tips, and advice for attracting bats to your bat house.   
  • Become a volunteer bat monitor: MassWildlife is looking for volunteers to help monitor bat house in the following communities: Belchertown, East Sandwich, Falmouth, Goshen, Middlefield, Montague, New Braintree, Richmond. No special bat experience is required! Monitors will be asked to visit the site of their assigned bat house at least once a month during June, July, and August, and report to MassWildlife if bats are present. Volunteers must have their own transportation to the site and be able to navigate using a set of GPS coordinates. If you are interested, please click here to complete an application form (deadline is June 9).
  • Report bat colonies: If you observe a group of bats (10 or more) this summer, report it to MassWildlife using this form.
  • Create habitat for bats: Bats seek shelter under peeling bark on dead trees. If you have dead or dying trees on your property, leave them standing as potential roost sites for bats. You can also create a bat-friendly landscape in your backyard by adding night-scented flowers and water features such as a pond.
  • Reduce pesticide use: Pesticides make it difficult for bats to find healthy food to eat. Insecticides can cause bats to go hungry from the lack of insects available.

For more information on white-nose syndrome and other threats to bats, see MassWildlife’s webpage on bat mortality in Massachusetts.

Media Contact   for How to help bats in Massachusetts

  • Division of Fisheries and Wildlife 

    MassWildlife is responsible for the conservation of freshwater fish and wildlife in the Commonwealth, including endangered plants and animals. MassWildlife restores, protects, and manages land for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy.
  • MassWildlife's Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program 

    The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program is responsible for the conservation and protection of hundreds of species that are not hunted, fished, trapped, or commercially harvested in the state, as well as the protection of the natural communities that make up their habitats.
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