BAT VIEWING Etiquette

Do not touch any bat you encounter, regardless of where it is.Strive to disturb bats as little as possible, no matter where they are or what they are doing.When viewing bat exit flights from a cave or other roost, keep noise levels to a minimum. Do not obstruct the flight path of bats exiting the roost.Avoid entering a bat roost. Most bats are highly sensitive to disturbance and will desert a roost if it is visited repeatedly.Do not enter roosts during the maternity season (May through August), when bats are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. Young bats will fall from a roost's ceiling and/or mothers will abandon their young if they are approached.Avoid caves that are used as winter hibernation sites by bats. Lights, noise and movement through a cave always cause bats to rouse from hibernation. This hastens the use of stored fat reserves and increases the likelihood that bats will starve to death before the end of hibernation.Report vandalism against bats to the Ohio Division of Wildlife at (800) WILDLIFE. In other states, contact the appropriate state wildlife agency.
Source: "In Ohio's Backyard: Bats"