FLORIDA, USA — Maternity season for Florida’s 13 “native and beneficial bat species” starts Wednesday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

For Floridians, if bats are roosting at a structure you use often, including your home, state wildlife officials say the last day to remove them without a permit is Tuesday. 

The maternity season for Florida’s 13 bat species starts April 16 and ends on Aug. 15 each year.

According to the FWC, Florida’s bat species typically “roost” or rest in trees, caves or other natural spaces, but sometimes they are attracted to buildings and other human-made structures, including those undergoing construction.

During maternity season, the FWC says it is illegal to block bats from returning to their roosts.

“This helps prevent flightless bat pups from being trapped inside structures — something that wouldn’t be good for either people or bats,” the FWC said in a press release.

The FWC says the only legal method to removing a bat from a structure is by using “exclusion devices,” which allow them to safely exit a structure and block them from returning. When maternity season begins, people can still use the devices, but the FWC says a permit is required to do so.

“Exclusion guidelines were developed to ensure bats are removed safely and effectively from buildings outside of maternity season to avoid problems for people and prevent the killing or harming of bats, which is illegal in Florida,” the FWC also said in the release. “Bat exclusion is a multi-step process that begins by identifying all potential bat entry and exit points in a building. To legally exclude bats, exclusion devices must be installed on key exit points, left up for a minimum of four nights and the exclusion must be conducted when the overnight temperature is forecast to be 50ºF or above.”

For more information about how to properly remove bats and tips on how Floridians can “bat-proof” their home, click here.