Photo courtesy of CDC

Bats have a bad reputation.  Most of these image issues come from misinformation and misunderstanding. Many people think of bats as blood-sucking, rabies-carrying evil creatures. How sad and most definitely not true.

First of all, only 3 out of almost 1000 species of bats drink blood. All three are found in Central America. These bats mostly feed on larger warm-blooded animals. They make small incisions and lap up the blood, they do not plunge fangs into them.

Another reason people hate bats is because they think they have a high incidence of rabies. This is patently false. They have no greater incidence than squirrels, foxes or raccoons, about one percent of the population in North America, according to a study by the University of Calgary.

Bats are not rodents, contrary to popular belief, they are mammals. They are the only flying mammal. Many bats are also protected either by Federal or State laws in the United States. Bats are also protected in other counties around the world. Killing them could likely be illegal.

If you dislike biting, flying insects, bats should be one of your favorite animals. One little brown bat can eat 600 insects in an hour, according to the Berkley bat site. I would love to have a colony of bats in my yard. We have an overabundance of mosquitoes.

By having these fantastic little bug eating animals, we are able to reduce pesticide use around our homes and on crops. Bats are also pollinators and seed dispersers.

Bat populations are on the decline due to a very nasty fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome or WNS in North America. The name of the fungus is Geomyces destructans, according to an article in Science Daily. This deadly syndrome is decimating our important insect-eating bat population.

So, put down that tennis racket and step away from the poor confused bat that inadvertently flew into your house. Go with a catch and release method or call a professional for help. Install bat houses on your property to encourage the bats to sleep there instead of in your house. Bats have much more to fear from humans than we do from them, even if they do get in our house.