JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — April 15 is the last day Floridians can legally remove bats from buildings without a permit, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warns, as the state’s annual bat maternity season starts April 16.
Bat maternity season, which is the period when Florida’s bats give birth and raise their young, runs April 16 through August 14 each year. During that window, blocking bats from returning to their roosts is illegal.
The restriction is designed to prevent bat pups from becoming trapped inside structures, which officials say poses risks to both humans and bats.
The FWC says exclusion devices are the only legal and most effective method for removing roosting bats from buildings. The devices allow bats to exit a structure but prevent them from returning. Their use is permitted only from August 15 through April 15. A permit is required to use them during maternity season.
Killing or harming bats is illegal in Florida. The state is home to 13 native bat species, including the endangered Florida bonneted bat.
The FWC notes that a single bat can consume hundreds of insects per night, including mosquitoes and agricultural pests, making them highly beneficial to the environment. Bats also serve as pollinators and seed dispersers, and their waste can be used as fertilizer.
Residents looking to support bat conservation can preserve natural roost sites such as trees with cavities or peeling bark, leave dead fronds on palm trees, install bat houses, or add native plants to their landscaping.
Authorities say Floridians should not bring equipment, clothing or shoes that have been inside out-of-state caves into Florida caves, and should report unusual behavior or sick and dead bats to the FWC.
For more information on bat exclusion or bat-proofing a home, visit the FWC’s website or contact your closest FWC Regional Office.
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