A most interesting question indeed and one that warrants much thought. It is easy to understand why you would ask yourself such a question. The one reason this question is rampant is because you hardly see bats during the day, and if you see one, it may be flying haphazardly causing most people to believe they avoid light.



The truth
Yes they avoid light. The reason is however not because they are vampires and may burn in the light. The answer is actually quite simple. They avoid light because;

• They are nocturnal animals. Nocturnal animals spend a lot of time sleeping during the day and hunting in the night. Nocturnal animals are generally afraid of light for the simple reason that light exposes them to predators in the area.
• They live in dark areas. Bats habitats are dark places, caves and attics. While they have great vision, strong light can blind them. For this matter, they will avoid light because it compromises their vision making it hard to avoid predators as they are not able to spot them easily.

What is your role with helping bats survival?
Generally, even when hunting at night, bats will avoid well-lit places. If you have bats in your area, you may want to turn off the lights. This is because, they will do everything to avoid being preyed on. If this means missing meals, they would rather miss them. If you are interested in bat survival then, remember to turn off the lights, especially those that you are not in need off.

How do you control their populations?
Rooting for bats, does not necessarily mean you want them overcrowding your compound. You may risk disease and injury should you come across one. The easiest ways to remove them are;

• Exclusion-once they leave your house for hunting, ensure all entrances are well sealed.
• Use exclusion doors -these ensure that once a bat is out it will not fly back in.
• Use strong light. You can light up your entire home (including the attic) and the compound outside. Because of the reasons explained above, they will eventually move out.

Final thought
If you see a bat flying during the day, take extra caution, it may be sick and disoriented. As stated, they avoid light at all cost; therefore, they will not come out during the day unless something is really wrong.

Read the How to get rid of bats page for helpful information and to learn more about Do bats avoid light?

Do bats avoid light?