Comox Valley – The BC Community Bat Program and the local North Island Chapter are encouraging residents to leave bats alone. At this time of year bats are moving around a lot, and that means people are more likely to see them. For the safety of both people and bats, it’s important to remember to leave them alone and to never, ever, touch a bat.
In BC there are at least 15 different species of bats. Some, like the Little Brown Myotis, are found in urban areas, often roosting in buildings.. “Bats are the hardest-working and often the most underappreciated of all wildlife,” says Heather Thomson, Program Coordinator for the North Island Community Bat Program, and for the Cumberland Community Forest Society. “In BC, bats have the important role of controlling insect populations. A Little Brown Myotis weighs less than a loonie and can vacuum up hundreds of mosquitoes and other insects in a single evening.” says Thomson. “In other parts of the world, bats also pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and even provide humans with medicines.”
“Summer is family time for bats, with females gathering in tightly packed maternity colonies to each raise a single pup,” says Thomson. Come August, pups are fully able to fly and sometimes these young ‘teenagers’ don’t come back to the maternity roosting site. “This is when people start to see more bat activity and sometimes see solitary bats roosting out in the open.”
If a bat is roosting on a vertical surface like a wall, a fence, or an umbrella, the best thing to do is leave it alone. “Give it space, keep children and pets away, and wait until the evening to watch it fly away,” says Thomson. If it’s in a busy area, consider putting a pylon, a chair, or something in front of that spot so that people don’t accidentally bump into it. “If you want to go the extra mile, you can put a sign up that says “Sh! Bat sleeping. Leave it alone. It will fly off tonight.”
Bats prefer to rest hanging upside down, so if you find a bat on the ground, you can suspect the bat is dehydrated, injured or ill – OR it may be a juvenile that fell from a roost or landed badly while learning to fly. Do not touch them. Visit www.bcbats.ca or call the bat toll free line at 1-855-9BC-BATS for directions. If it’s in an area where children play, visit www.bcbats.ca to learn how to move it safely.
Bats receive negative attention in the media due to the risk of rabies, but less than 0.5% of bats carry rabies. People can only get rabies if there is ‘direct contact’ with a bat which means a person needs to be bitten or scratched by a bat, or the bat had contact with an open wound on a person, or if a person handles a bat with bare hands.
The key message is truly “never touch a bat”. If you are bitten or scratched by a bat you should immediately wash the wound well with soap and water under a running tap for at least 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water. Seek medical attention immediately from a healthcare provider, local public health unit or call 811. If pets come into contact with a bat, immediately call a veterinarian. The vet is responsible for risk assessment
Bats are protected under the BC Wildlife Act and it’s important to not disturb them. Bats will soon be gone. In winter, they vanish into caves, hollow trees or on the coast, sometimes to abandoned cottage attics. Most species survive the winter in a state of hibernation. Two species of bats migrate south for the winter.
“We just finished up our BC Annual Bat Count. During this program we count the female bats leaving roosts such as barns and attics in June, and count again in July and August when the pups are flying. This gives us an idea of how local bat populations are doing year to year. This summer, we had around 50 volunteers counting at 16 roost sites. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this citizen science program! If you have bats at your property we’d love to know! Please reach out to the North Island BC Community Bat Program,” adds Thomson.
The BC Community Bat Program is made possible thanks to the generous donations of many supporters as well as funding from the BC government and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. It is administered by the BC Conservation Foundation and regionally supported by the Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) and their donors and event fundraisers.
– 30 –
Contact info:
Heather Thomson, North Island BC Community Bat Program
1-250-650-4951
heather@cumberlandforest.com / www.cumberlandforest.com
Paula Rodriguez de la Vega, Provincial coordinator, BC Community Bat Program
T. 1-855-922-2287 ext. 20
E. bcbats@gmail.com
Photos:
Bat on bench, by BC Community Bat Program. “Single bats may be found roosting out in the open at this time of year as they are moving out of their regular roosting sites. Leave them alone. They will fly away in the evening or in a few days.”
Myotis roosting bat, by A. Skurikhina. “Leave bats alone. Observe, keep your distance, take a photo, report to www.bcbats.ca. The bat might stay for a few days and then fly away one evening.”
Silver-haired bat by B. Mehl. “Bats are on the move and might be found roosting out in the open for a few days. This Silver-haired bat is likely migrating. Bats are protected under the BC Wildlife Act and it’s important to leave them alone.”