It's a pretty sure bet that where there's a baseball team, there are bats. But this spring the New York Mets found themselves with nearly 30,000 bats to spare. These bats aren't made of wood or aluminum--they are alive and flapping! The team's spring-training stadium in Port St. Lucie, Florida, was home to a colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats. Last month a special "bat house" opened near the stadium. Its builders hope the bats will move in and leave the Mets alone.

Time out! How did thousands of furry bats end up in a baseball stadium? Throughout Florida, new buildings are replacing the forests where bats usually live. "Bats are being forced to live closer and closer to people," says University of Florida wildlife expert Ken Gioeli (Joe-ell-ee).

Too close, say the Mets. The team was fed up with its winged fans. Not only were the bats giving people the creeps, but they were also leaving a giant mess. In one night, 30,000 bats can produce several inches of droppings, which are called guano (gwah-no). The health department's officials were worried.

The bats had to go. But killing bats is illegal in Florida. They are a protected species. So one night while the bats were out, special screening was put up to keep them from returning to the stadium. Result: a lot of homeless bats.

Now that Gioeli's specially designed bat house is open, many of those bats will soon have a home. That's good news for the bats and for local farmers too. Not only do bats eat pesky insects, but the guano from the new bat house can be used as fertilizer to help crops grow. Says Gioeli: "It's very rich in nutrients."