(Poughkeepsie, NY) -- After years of decline, there is a resurgence in the flying bat population in the Hudson Valley and more and more of them are showing up in the homes of Dutchess County residents.
Dutchess County Health officials say there has been a significant increase in the number of bats found inside homes with window air conditioning units. They are urging residents to fully seal all gaps around window air conditioners. The health department says while bats are gentle and not aggressive, they may carry and transmit rabies.
Over the last several years, thousands in the local population of bats were killed off by “White Nose Syndrome.” White Nose Syndrome is a disease that devastated bat populations throughout the Northeast.
(Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)