Now that the autumn is upon us, Halloween is just around the corner and pretty soon we’ll be decorating our homes for this festive season. 
Many images abound when we think of this sensational, exciting, and spooky holiday. The most common being carefully crafted jack-o-lanterns, witches riding the winds of the season on their broomsticks, black cats screeching scarily, and – with absolutely no doubt – those bountiful bats who are deemed as the ultimate of all harbingers of the supposed “evil” of the holiday.
However have you ever wondered how did the bat become so closely associated with Halloween?
Warding Off of Evil
Let’s travel back to the time of the Celtics. This group believed that the spirits of those that had previously died will cross over into the physical world each year on October 31st – Halloween.
While many looked forward to reconnecting with ancestors and those loved ones that had previously passed on, it was believed that evil and unruly ghosts would also cross over.
These nasty spirits would bring chaos, make mischief, and cause mayhem. To ward them off and protect themselves, they would dress in costumes and light a fire.
As time progressed into the night, winged creatures – like bats – would fly near the fire. When they would see them flying erratically and swooping all around, they considered them to be the embodied spirits, returning to earth.
The Blood-Sucking Demon
In Europe, tales would be told about winged demons who would fly around in search of blood. When people went to sleep, these creatures would prey on their blood in order to survive.
During the 17th Century, the “vampire bat” was discovered in the region of South America. This seemed to confirm the tale of the blood-sucking winged demons.
It was believed that once the bat sucked the blood from their victims, they would turn into a vampire. The story evolved further and people believed that vampires could transition into bats and bats could transform into vampires, making people even more frightened of the creatures.
The Only True Flight Mammal
While it is easy to believe the scary stories surrounding bats, they are not as frightening as people have come to believe. Yes, they fly over night as they are nocturnal. Even more interesting is they are the only mammal that is capable of engaging in true flight.
These creatures only eat pests. According to research, they can eat over 1,000 different insects in just one night! They are not – as many believe – seeking the blood of humans that they can transition into dangerous blood-sucking vampires.
There are bats that eat fruits and vegetables. They are not blind and they do not fly directly at people. In fact, they hunt using echolocation.
While there are 3 species of vampire bats, there are – to date – a total of 1,100 species of bats throughout the world. These creatures can live for over two decades.
If you really do not want to move from the “bats are frightening” image this Halloween, consider a bat that has a wing span that exceeds 6 feet. This is a real bat, referred to as the “Flying Fox”.
If you just can’t get past the fright of bats and find that you are absolutely convinced that these creatures waiting on you to fall asleep at night, contact us to inquire about our bat removal services today: 855-465-1088