Roosting season: Do you know your bat etiquette?

Bats are no strangers to much of Central Alabama, even if they’re mostly unseen unless they take up residence in someone’s attic or crawlspace.

In fact, there are 16 known species of bat that call Alabama home, including one on the endangered species list and several with moderate to high conservation concerns.

And in Liberty Park, much of which sits above abandoned mines and includes streams and creeks that support bat habitats, they might be even more common.

“There is a rich assemblage of bats in Birmingham,” said Nicholas Sharp, a biologist for the North Alabama sector of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

Sharp said he starts to get an increase in calls about bats around this time of year because June and July are prime roosting season, when bat mothers are raising and weaning their young.

Most of those calls come from folks who have discovered a family of bats in an attic — an attractive roosting situation because they are typically dark and dry. “It’s a common occurrence,” he said.

But while they can be somewhat of a nuisance to homeowners, Sharp said people should be thanking bats.

“All the species of bats we have in Alabama are insectivores, and across Alabama they eat billions of insects every night,” he said.

Sharp said estimates put the economic impact of bats on the agriculture industry in the billions, with at least $1 billion of that going to protect the country’s corn crops.

This “free pest control” is critical for the ecosystem but is also why bats are drawn to streams and creeks, which typically produce mosquitos and other bugs.

The waterways in Liberty Park, which in part are connected with the Army Corps of Engineers, are the main reason bats have been on the radar as the “700 Acres” development moves forward.

When a federal agency is involved in any type of development or deforestation project, Sharp said, they have to make sure that any animals on the endangered species list are not going to be adversely affected.

In the case of Liberty Park, that means the Indiana Bat.

The Indiana Bat, or Indiana myotis sodalis, is a medium-sized, mouse-eared bat native to North America. It has been on the endangered species list since 1967 as its populations have continued to drastically decline, rendering the bat exceedingly rare.

Shawn Arterburn with the Liberty Park Joint Venture said no evidence of the Indiana Bat has been found at Liberty Park, but the developers have had to be extra-cautious during the April through October period when the bats come out of hibernation.

Sharp said the primary concern is deforestation during this time period, because the bats set up roosts in trees during the summer to breed.

While there haven’t been sightings of the Indiana Bat or the other species conservationists are concerned about, Sharp said good bat etiquette is always encouraged.

There is no need to fear bats, he said, but because they do have the capability of carrying the rabies virus, precautions should be taken and the public should avoid handling them if possible.

Property owners who discover bats in their attic should contact reputable companies that can safely remove the bats and relocate them to a new home.

For more information about the bats that call this area home, and for a list of reputable wildlife-removal experts, visit outdooralabama.com/mammals/bats.