Do Bats Hibernate in Florida? What Bats Do in Winter
The short answer: not the way bats up north do. UF/IFAS says bats are active year-round in Florida. That's why fall and winter are the season to get them out of a house, as long as the nights are warm enough: FWC requires overnight lows of 50°F or warmer during an exclusion. Call (844) 264-6254.
Florida bats in winter
UF/IFAS counts 13 bat species in Florida and says they're active year-round (UF/IFAS). In Tampa, the city says the Brazilian free-tailed bat, a common bat in the area, stays active all year (City of Tampa). So a colony in your attic in July may well still be there in January.
Why winter is exclusion season
Florida law protects bats while they raise their young. FWC bans exclusion from April 16 to August 14, and allows it from August 15 to April 15 (FWC). UF/IFAS recommends fall and winter for a bat exclusion in Florida. During the spring and summer pup season, young bats that can't fly yet would be trapped inside and die, and the decay can draw pests such as cockroaches (UF/IFAS).
What a cold snap does to the work
- FWC's temperature rule: one-way exclusion devices stay up for at least four nights in a row with overnight lows forecast at 50°F or above (FWC).
- Bats stay in when it's cold. FWC says bats tend not to leave their roost on windy, cold or rainy nights, and recommends leaving the exclusion devices up for extra nights when that happens. FWC also notes bats can cut back their activity in cool weather and stay in the roost for several days (FWC).
- Plan around the forecast. In a Florida winter, that usually means waiting out a cold front and starting the count again on the warm nights after it.
What not to do in winter
- Don't seal holes while bats are inside, even if you haven't seen them in a while. They're likely still roosting, and sealed-in bats die in the walls or attic.
- Don't use ultrasonic devices or repellents. UF/IFAS says ultrasonic devices don't repel bats.
- Don't wait until spring. Exclusion closes on April 15 and doesn't open again until August 15.
More on the rules in Florida bat laws and bat maternity season, and on tile roofs in bats under barrel tile roofs. See also bat removal and bats in the attic.