Solitary bats tend to spend the day in the foliage of trees, under shaggy bark, or in tree cavities and crevices. The red, silver-haired, and hoary bats are three of West Virginia's common solitary bats. Many solitary bats migrate southward for winter or hibernate in buildings and tree cavities. Bats are mammals, and their young are born from May through July. From late April until they hibernate, bats eat thousands upon thousands of mosquitoes, tree bugs, beetles, moths, flying ants, mayflies, caddis flies, etc.
Bats are experts at flying in the dark and through narrow, difficult passages.
They can locate tiny insects by use of squeaking sounds that are emitted and bounce back to be picked up by their ears. This sonar system is similar to radar and is called echolocation. Bat populations have greatly decreased over the past 50 years. Increased use of chemical pesticides to protect farm crops, gardens, lawns, and forests is a major factor in this decline. Sealing and flooding of old coal mines Forest harvesting of hollow trees Insulating and sealing of homes to reduce energy costs.