It’s Bat Appreciation Month, or as we like to call it — Bat-ober. Bats’ affinity for bug-cuisine makes them a natural pesticide and they save South Carolina’s agricultural industry over $115 million each year in pesticides.
There are 14 bats that call South Carolina their home, but let’s take a look at just a few of the bats that can be found in the Upstate:
🦇 Big brown bat | Among the largest of the South Carolinian bats, these big browns average at four to five inches in length and can eat a third of its weight in one night.
🦇 Eastern small-footed bat | Like its name suggests, this bat is among the smallest of its region. It’s also relatively rare and can be identified by its black ears and muzzle.
🦇 Evening bat | These beetle-eating bats coexist well with humans and their appetite for Japanese beetles can save your lawn from infestation.
Celebrate SC Bat Week in the Midlands on Sat., Oct. 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Nature as Teacher Preserve for Education (247 Chestnut Ferry Rd., Camden) where it’s hosting a Trick or Treat Trail. In addition to bats, you may just see a real life “bigfoot” hiding in the trees.