This resolution expresses support for designating October 24-31, 2025, as "Bat Week" while acknowledging the vital role of bats and the ongoing efforts to combat white-nose syndrome.
Peter Welch
Senator
VT
This resolution expresses the sense of Congress supporting the designation of the week of October 24-31, 2025, as "Bat Week." It recognizes the vital ecological and economic importance of bats, particularly in pest control and pollination. Furthermore, the resolution acknowledges the severe threat posed by white-nose syndrome and supports ongoing federal efforts to monitor and combat this devastating fungal disease impacting bat populations.
Congress Backs 'Bat Week' in October 2025: Why This Matters for Farmers and Your Grocery Bill
This resolution is short, sweet, and to the point: Congress is throwing its support behind designating October 24 through October 31, 2025, as “Bat Week.” While it might sound like a fun holiday for wildlife enthusiasts, this is actually a serious acknowledgment of the critical, often unseen, work bats do for the U.S. economy and environment. The resolution highlights two key things: the massive economic value bats provide, and the urgent threat they face from a deadly disease.
The $3.7 Billion Pest Control Service
If you’re wondering why Congress cares about a specific week for bats, look no further than the farm. This resolution explicitly recognizes that bats provide essential services like controlling damaging insects, pollinating crops, and dispersing seeds. Here’s the kicker: the resolution notes that these services save U.S. farmers over $3.7 billion annually in pest control costs. Think about that the next time you buy produce—these winged mammals are doing the heavy lifting to keep pesticide use down and food costs manageable. Essentially, they are the free, all-natural pest control team for our agricultural sector, which is why their conservation is a legitimate economic issue.
The Silent Killer: White-Nose Syndrome
The reason this resolution is urgent is the fungal disease known as White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). This disease has killed millions of bats and spread to 40 states, devastating populations of species like the little brown bat and the northern long-eared bat—which is now listed as endangered. WNS is a huge problem because if bat populations crash, that $3.7 billion in free pest control disappears, potentially forcing farmers to use more chemicals or face lower yields, which eventually translates to higher prices at the grocery store for all of us.
A Nod to the Scientists on the Front Lines
While this resolution doesn't allocate new funding, it serves as a powerful endorsement of the ongoing work being done by federal agencies. It specifically calls out the Department of the Interior (through the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Geological Survey, among others) for leading the international response to WNS. The resolution praises the North American Bat Monitoring Program, which has collected nearly 94 million records since 2015 to track population changes. By supporting "Bat Week" and acknowledging these efforts, Congress is signaling that it intends to “continue working to conserve bat species and their habitat” and “work to defeat the disease known as white-nose syndrome.” For the researchers and conservationists fighting WNS, this is a clear sign that their work is considered a national priority. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the biggest impact on our daily lives comes from the smallest creatures.