They arrive in Texas from Mexico in late February, mate, the females raise their young, and then return to Mexico in late October to early November. They prefer undisturbed habitats. These bats roost near water. This allows them to drink while on their long foraging flights, and water attracts insects which they then eat. They contribute to agricultural success by controling the pest level.
Farmers actually build bat houses around their crops to attract bats.
The large amounts of guano that is created from thier large colonies are used by farmers as fertilizer in their field. Mexican Free-tails are also used in many studies for new vaccines. They are also used in space exploration studies to determine the stress experienced when in enviromental extremes. They are the second most reported bat to the Texas Department of Health. These bats have the highest incidence of rabies of any other bat species in Texas.