Insectivorous bats in temperate zones have evolved strategies, such as migration or hibernation, to face challenges of reduced resource availability and increased energy demand during winter. In the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, many bats are year-round residents and remain active during the winter or migrate from colder areas seeking milder conditions. Southeastern Coastal Plain forests may represent important areas for remnant populations of bat species impacted by White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Working forests represent a large proportion of the forests of the southeastern Coastal Plain, yet winter habitat use by bats in this region and how forest management practices affects habitat use remains understudied. From 2020 to 2022, my study used passive acoustic monitoring to assess winter bat activity across six forest sites, evaluating how habitat features and environmental variables shape bat foraging and occupancy patterns. In addition, I conducted DNA metabarcoding analysis of fecal samples was conducted to identify prey species and assess dietary diversity among bat species and applied structural equation modeling to disentangle the effects of forest management, temperature, and insect availability on bat activity. My study detected eleven bat species, with species-specific responses to habitat features, temperature, and prey availability. Results indicated that higher species richness was associated with areas of contiguous forest and lower basal area, suggesting that certain forest stand characteristics support overwintering bat populations. Temperature emerged as a significant predictor of bat detectability, with activity increasing in warmer conditions. DNA metabarcoding revealed a diverse winter diet that included economically relevant pest species, such as Rhyacionia frustrana, underscoring bats’ role in pest control within these ecosystems. The findings suggest that maintaining specific forest structural features, such as lower basal area and habitat connectivity, can positively impact overwintering bats and enhance their ecosystem services. By providing insights into bat foraging ecology and habitat use, this study offers valuable recommendations for forest management practices aimed at bat conservation and supports the development of sustainable forestry practices that benefit both biodiversity and forest health in the southeastern United States Coastal Plain.