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BAT PUPS LEARNING TO FLY

News Release

July 24, 2023 OKANAGAN AND SIMILKAMEEN REGION, BC – Are you noticing more bats around your house or property? You are not alone! Mid-summer is the time when landowners typically notice more bat activity, may have bats flying into their house, and occasionally find a bat on the ground or roosting in unusual locations.

These surprise visitors are often the young pups. “In July and August, pups are learning to fly, and their early efforts may land them in locations where they are more likely to come in contact with humans“, says Paula Rodriguez de la Vega, Okanagan coordinator with the Got Bats? BC Community Bat Program.

As noticed in the last two years, heat and smoke may also cause bats to use unusual roost sites.

Bats roosting in exposed locations, such as this bat on a screen door, can be left alone and will usually move on at dusk or after a few days. Photo by V.Troyen
Bat pups are learning to fly and sometimes are found in odd spots like at the top of this entryway. Leave bats alone and they usually will move on at dusk or after a few days. Photo by E. Zachary.

If you find a bat, alive or dead, remember to never touch it with your bare hands. Bats in BC are known to carry rabies at a low level; this is why it is important to avoid any contact. If you must move a bat, use a trowel or similar tool, and always wear leather gloves to protect yourself from direct contact. Talk to your children to make sure they understand to never touch, play or try to rescue injured or sick-looking bats. If you suspect a bite or scratch from a bat, immediately wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes. Also contact your public health or your doctor as soon as possible, or go to the emergency department.

For more information on rabies please refer to the BCCDC website http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/rabies.

“Bats are important to our ecology and economy. They are the main consumers of night flying insects. Unfortunately, bats are in trouble, and half of the bat species in BC are listed as ‘at risk’,” says Rodriguez de la Vega. Bats are often found in close association with humans, as some species (such as the Little Brown Myotis) have adapted to live in human structures, and colonies may be found under roofs or siding, or in attics, barns, or other buildings. Female bats gather in maternity colonies to have a single pup in early summer, where they will remain until the pups are ready to fly.

“Having bats is viewed as a benefit by many landowners, who appreciate the insect control. Others may prefer to exclude the bats,” says Rodriguez de la Vega. Under the BC Wildlife Act it is illegal to exterminate or directly harm bats, and exclusion should only be done in the fall and winter after it is determined that the bats are no longer in the building. If you have bats on your property, the BC Community Bat Project can offer advice and support.

You can keep bats out of your living space by keeping doors and windows closed and ensuring window screens do not have any holes. If you find a live bat in a room of your home, open the window and close interior doors until the bat leaves, or follow the steps here: https://batworld.org/what-to-do-if-youve-found-a-bat/. “Cat predation is a very common cause of death of bats in BC, which is bad for bat populations and potentially exposes the cats, and their owners, to rabies,” says Rodriguez de la Vega. Keep cats indoors, particularly overnight when the bats are most active, and ensure all cats are vaccinated for rabies.

This student is pointing at a bat roosting at the top of the doorway at the entrance of her school. Bats should be left alone unless they are roosting low down where children or pets can come into contact with them. These are great opportunities to teach about bat conservation and safety. Never touch a bat. Leave it alone and it will fly off at dusk or after a few days. Photo by P. Rodriguez de la Vega.

For information on safely moving a bat if necessary and to report bat sightings, landowners can visit the Got Bats? BC Community Bat Program’s website (www.bcbats.ca), email [email protected], or call 1-855-9BC-BATS ext.13. The BC Community Bat Program is supported by the BC Conservation Foundation, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Habitat Stewardship Program, the Government of BC. In the Okanagan, we partner with the Allan Brooks Nature Centre in Vernon, the RDCO Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan in Kelowna, the Bat Education and Ecological Protection Society in Peachland, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, the Osoyoos Desert Centre and many others.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paula Rodriguez de la Vega

Okanagan Region Coordinator, BC Community Bat Program

www.bcbats.ca

Toll free: 1-855-922-BATS (2287) ext.13

Help us detect white-nose syndrome in B.C.  Please report dead bats and unusual bat activity in winter.  Call our toll free line:  1.855.922.2287, ext.13.  For more information see www.bcbats.ca.

Blossoms and Berries — Uses of wild Sunflowers and Saskatoon berries.

Check out Roseanne Van Ee’s recent nature column in the Vernon MorningStar! Learn about different uses of some of our local plants and how to make an Saskatoon Pie!

Spring up to help local bats

BC Community Bat Program’s Okanagan Coordinator asking for help with bats.

With bats waking from hibernation and many returning to the area from long migrations, Paula Rodriguez de la Vega provided ABNC with some great information on helping these little eco champions. Here are some things we can do as we head into spring.

Pallid Bat – Gerson Herrera

Bat boxes and contacts

If you want information about bat boxes, please see our website:  https://www.bcbats.ca/index.php/bat-houses. The Okanagan Community Bat Program sells 4-chamber bat boxes for $150 each, with all proceeds going to bat conservation. 

Alternatively, you can buy them at the Peachland Visitor Centre or at the Vernon Allan Brooks Nature Centre.  Or build your own as per this link:   https://www.bcbats.ca/attachments/Bat_houses_in_BC_2015.pdf

Our program depends on various grants and donations.  If you feel so inclined to support the Okanagan Community Bat Program, please go to:  https://www.bcbats.ca/index.php/get-involved/support-the-bat-program.

Sincerely,

Paula Rodriguez de la Vega

Okanagan Region Coordinator, BC Community Bat Program

www.bcbats.ca

Toll free: 1-855-922-BATS (2287) ext.13

Help us detect white-nose syndrome in B.C.  Please report dead bats and unusual bat activity in winter.  Call our toll free line:  1.855.922.2287, ext.13.  For more information see www.bcbats.ca.

Disease threatens BC’s Bats – Need your help

Sleeping bat – a healthy Myotis bat found hibernating in a woodpile – reporting sleeping bats helps researchers learn what is normal. Photo: C Buick

OKANAGAN AREA, BC – B.C.’s bats, including the well-known Little Brown Bat, are threatened by a fungal disease headed towards the province from Alberta and Washington State. The Okanagan Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is asking the public for help in the effort to detect and prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Residents are urged to report any bat activity observed in winter and any sick or dead bats found before May 31st.

What is White Nose Syndrome?

White-Nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that is harmless to humans and pets, but has devastated North American bat populations. The fungus attacks bats while they are hibernating, growing on their faces to give an appearance of a white nose. Bats often wake to clean the fungus from their skin. This uses valuable energy, and finally the bats die from starvation. Across North America, millions of bats have been killed, and two BC species are now listed as Endangered due to the disease.

First detected in New York State in 2006, the disease continues to spread, with detections on the west coast close to Seattle and in south-central Alberta. Biologists say the arrival of WNS in BC is imminent. Increasing the number of reports from the public is the best chance to understand how WNS might spread and affect local bat populations. Though there is not yet a proven cure for WNS, several promising treatment options are being developed, and it may be possible to mitigate the effects of this wildlife health crisis.

White-nose syndrome occurrence map – by year (2023). Downloaded 2023-02-07. Available at https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/where-is-wns

What you can do

If you find a dead bat or have sightings of winter bat activity, please report to the B.C. Community Bat Program online at www.bcbats.ca , via email at [email protected] or by calling 1-855-922-2287 ext.13.  All live bats should be left alone — keep your distance, snap a photo and report it to the B.C. Community Bat Program. If you must move a bat, visit www.bcbats.ca for advice and never touch a bat with your bare hands. Please note that if you or your pet has been in direct contact with the bat you will need further information regarding the risk of rabies to you and your pet.  Please contact the BC Community Bat Program for more information.

Bats – OUR Buddies

The bats of BC are key predators of many night-flying insects.  They are essential parts of BC’s ecosystems and provide billions of dollars of economic benefit by helping control agricultural, forest, and urban pests.   In partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, the BC Community Bat Program provides information and promotes local stewardship and citizen science.  

Okanagan Resources

The BC Community Bat Program Okanagan Region extends its gratitude to partners involved in bat conservation including the Bat Education and Environmental Protection Society (Peachland), Environmental Education Centre Okanagan (Kelowna), Allan Brooks Nature Centre (Vernon), Osoyoos Desert Society (Osoyoos), BC Parks (Penticton), Grist Mill (Keremeos), The Nature Trust (Twin Lakes), Granby Wilderness Society (Grand Forks) and several Okanagan naturalist and outdoor clubs The program runs thanks to funding from  the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, and the Habitat Stewardship Program. You can find out more about the BC Community Bat Program and options for helping local bat populations at www.bcbats.ca[email protected], or 1-855-922-2287 ext.13.

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