On this week's Good Growing podcast we sit down to talk with Dr. Joy O'Keefe all about bats! Dr. O'Keefe is an assistant professor at University of Illinois and a wildlife specialist with Extension who studies bats and how humans can work to co-exist with our flying fellow mammals. In this show we learn about the importance of bats, how to attract them to our yards, and how to deal with a bat in the house. All this and much more! See our smiling faces on YouTube https://youtu.be/9fLLNtNHkpI Skip to what you want to know: 4:11 Welcome Joy! 6:24 What's so special about bats? 9:52 How can we attract bats to our landscapes? 13:16 How can we deal with a bat in the house? 19:56 Should we be alarmed when we encounter a bat? 23:21 Handling bats and is rabies a concern? 25:19 Let's say you got bit by a bat. How soon should you get a rabies shot? 27:21 How have humans impacted bat populations? - 27:35 Habitat Loss - 29:31 Invasive Species - 30:04 White Nose Syndrome - 32:19 Wind Energy 34:20 How many bat species do we have in Illinois? 36:59 How has COVID-19 impacted bat research 39:16 Do bats prefer certain tree species for roosting? 42:07 Why do bats come out at night? 44:26 Do bats eat anything other than insects? 45:27 What is the link between Count Dracula and bats? 48:25 Why do bats swoop at our heads? Contact Dr. O'Keefe https://nres.illinois.edu/directory/jmokeefe Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://groups.webservices.illinois.edu/subscribe/113369 Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.