As with most animals, the female is the one that chooses her partner. It may seem like male bats fly around at night and copulate with as many females as possible (which isn’t far from the truth), but males are actually selected and know when they’ve been dismissed. Female bats will position themselves close to the male they deem most attractive based on the high pitch of the male’s mating call.

Once the male bat is selected, he will bite her on the neck to wake her up during the night and then they copulate. If they are mating during the day, he will rub against her neck instead of biting. It’s a little romantic in a Dracula-sense.

Bats are able to mate as early as 14 months old. They are birthed, taught how to hunt and survive, and then seemingly instantly reproduce. Just because they can reproduce doesn’t mean they do. Male bats may not be selected to reproduce during mating season, and female bats may not select anyone to reproduce with. It’s not as if every night they are copulating as much as possible. There is a method to it all.

If you hear screeching in the springtime, it could be a bat’s mating call. Now is the time to make sure your house is bat-proof. You wouldn’t want any of their mating habits happening in your attic.