Abandoned mines shelter bats and other wildlife. However, mines are often threatened with closure for human safety and renewed mining in historic districts. Bat-compatible closures have been installed in thousands of mines across North America to prevent human entry but allow bat entry. As white-nose syndrome (WNS) progresses westward across the continent, protecting bat roosts can slow the spread via human transport of the deadly fungus that causes WNS. If mines are to be permanently destroyed in renewed mining operations, bats should be evicted at the appropriate season and replacement habitat should be installed with bat gates. The timing of surveys and methods used influence the detectability of seasonal bat use of a mine. Many bat species use several roosts throughout their annual cycle, as dictated by physiological and behavioral needs. When evaluating bat use of mines recommended for closure, the goals should be to identify the most important mine roosts and avoid installing incompatible closures that may cause roost abandonment. Not all types of mine closures are acceptable to all species of bats at all times of year, and suitability may depend on colony size as well as closure size and design. Some colonies do not accept corrugated culverts or even gates. After installing any bat-compatible closure, a monitoring program should be implemented to assess its effectiveness.