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Eastern Small Footed Bats Removal NJ
The diet of the eastern small footed bat is exclusively insects, mostly moths. In fact, nearly half of their diet is composed of some form of moth. They also eat mosquitos, beetles and flies. They eat at night, mostly below the canopy line of forests, along streams and along cliffs. They eat rapidly and usually are full within an hour of beginning to feed. They do not eat any hard-bodied prey, which is believed to be because the eastern small food bat has a small, delicate skull itself, making consumption of hard bodied prey difficult.
Despite their small size and delicate skulls, the eastern small footed bats are extremely hardy and temperature resistant. They are among the last bats in the area to entire their winter hibernation period and among the first bats in their range to leave their hibernation period. The typical hibernation period for the eastern small footed bat is from mid-November through early April. They hibernate in cold caves, since they can tolerate colder temperatures than other bat species. Another unusual feature of the hibernation of the eastern small footed bat is that unlike most bat species who hibernate in large groups, this bat usually hibernates in small groups of fifty bats, and sometimes less. They also hibernate near the entrance of their caves, where there is less humidity, which puts them at greater risk from predators and white nose syndrome.
The cause of the relative rarity of this species of bat is unknown. There are many theories, including their poor choice of hibernation location, the increasingly severe impact on all bat populations of white nose syndrome, but the most common theory for why there are so few eastern small footed bats is that they only have one birth a year per bat. Very rarely, twins are seen, but even with the occasional incidence of twins, the birth rate is very low and the death rate for young bats is always higher than for adult bats.
White nose syndrome is a major problem for bats of all species. This is a newly discovered phenomenon. In white nose syndrome, the hibernating bats develop a fungal infection which creates a white fungal coating all over the bats, primarily along the face and wingspan of the bats. To date, there is no explanation for what causes white nose syndrome, no treatment option for bats that develop it, and no way to prevent the syndrome from affecting the bats. This disease has caused a precipitous drop in all the bat populations across the country, pushing many bats into danger. The eastern small footed bat population is considered stable, but with such a small population to begin with, concerns for the continued well-being of the species abound.
The eastern small footed bat does not often roost in homes and buildings, but in the extraordinarily unlikely event that your home or office does develop an infestation of eastern small footed bats, the best course of action is to contact your local pest control specialist with bat removal experience. They are qualified to relocate the bat colony without harming it. If you cannot find a qualified pest removal company that deals with bats in your area, consider contacting the wildlife department, as they can advise you as to the best way to proceed without damaging the colony or harming the bats. These bats are considered threatened or have protected status in many areas.
Most bats, including the eastern small footed bat, are relatively harmless to humans. The biggest risk is the possibility of disease transmission, and eastern small footed bats can transmit rabies as well as histoplasmosis, a disease caused by inhaling dust contaminated by the spores. When bats do have rabies--which is quite rare--they do not behave aggressively. Rather, they lie still. If humans do not handle bats, the risk of rabies from a bat is negligible.
There are many different kinds of bats in United States, so if you see a bat, try to look at it carefully. You will need to be able to describe it carefully in order to properly identify the bat to your bat removal NJ specialist.
Bats Away is your NJ bat removal expert for all of your bat problems.
Everything You Need To Know About Eastern Small Footed Bats
The eastern small-footed bat is a rare bat that is found primarily in the Eastern half of the United States. It can be found as far south and west as southern Missouri, but it primarily located in the Appalachian Mountains, up through New England and into southern Canada. They are most commonly found in forests, either coniferous or deciduous forests, and in mountainous regions between 240 and 1125 meters high.
The eastern small footed bat is rarely sighted and considered to be a fairly rare species of bat, even within its favored range, although it is difficult to know exactly how many there are in the total population and impose protective measures for the bats because the vast majority of these bats, perhaps as many as 90 percent, are located on private property. The latest count of hibernating eastern small footed bats puts the estimated population at around three thousand.
The eastern small footed bat is one of the smallest bats in the world, with a maximum length of almost 3 inches. They only weigh between one and two tenths of an ounce. Their names are derived from their exceptionally small feet, which are disproportionately small compared to the rest of their body. Their fur is dark at the roots and fade towards the tips, which gives them a yellow-gray appearance, with darker fur around the nose and face, giving it an almost raccoon-like face mask appearance.