By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
They’re furry, intelligent, love to cuddle – and they sleep suspended from the ceiling. B.C. is home to 15 bat species, according to the BC Community Bat Program, an organization advocating for the protection of bats. As part of International Bat Week, taking place from October 24th to October 31st, the Community Bat Program is hosting educational events throughout the province.
Tina Watters, the Omineca Regional Bat Coordinator for the program, told The Goat that bats have a vital role to play throughout B.C.’s ecosystems. The Omineca region covers the central interior of B.C., spanning roughly from Valemount to just north of McLeod Lake.
Seven bat species are found in the region, according to Watters, and they act as natural insect control.
“On average, most bats can eat up to half their body weight in insects every night,” Watters said. “Many of the insects bats eat can be serious crop or forest pests, and some of the other insects they eat can also spread disease to people or livestock.”
Despite occupying an important niche in the ecosystem, bats are often overlooked or even feared, Watters said.
“People are always scared of the unknown. They’re scared of things that go bump in the night. But bats really aren’t scary at all,” Watters said. “The more people know, the less they fear bats, and then they can share their knowledge around.”
With two of the bat species in the Omineca region – the Northern Myotis and Little Brown Myotis – currently on the federal endangered species list, it’s important for locals to educate themselves about how to protect bats, Watters said. One easy way to conserve bat populations is to keep cats indoors or on a leash: cats are predatory animals and hunt bats just like they hunt birds, and bats have not evolved defences against cats, Watters said.
Another threat to bats is white-nose syndrome, the term for a fungal infection that wakes bats from hibernation early and causes fatal levels of exhaustion. While the fungus which causes the syndrome has been found in Grand Forks, B.C., so far, no bats with white-nose syndrome have been identified in the province, according to Watters – though it has wreaked havoc on colonies in Alberta and the state of Washington.
Bats tend to hibernate from November 1st to May 31st, according to Watters. The Community Bat Program encourages residents to monitor roosts near their home to ensure they aren’t waking up early, which could be a symptom of white-nose syndrome.
“If you have a roost, check it every two weeks in the springtime,” Watters said. “Look for bats and guano [bat feces], and you can listen for any squeaks or scratching sounds to see if they are waking up. If you do hear or see anything, please let us know and report the date you first noticed bats at the roost site.”
Bat roosts and dead bats can be reported online at bcbats.ca/got-bats/report-your-bats/. The Community Bat Program responds to reports of dead bats by first confirming whether nearby humans or pets are at risk of rabies infections, since bats are carriers of the disease. If there is no rabies risk, the program will test the bat body for white-nose syndrome, said Watters.
It’s not all doom and gloom for these furry, fanged friends: Watters has a number of suggestions on how locals can celebrate bats throughout the next week.
“You could host a bat week party featuring bat games or trivia – on the website, we’ve got some trivia questions and examples,” Watters said. “Or you could do a bat costume contest with food and drinks in the shape of moths, mosquitoes or other insects that the bats are eating.”
Additionally, Watters is working on assembling “bat packs” – collections of gear for bat observation, similar to the bird watching packs found at many libraries – for Prince George area libraries, and hopes to expand the initiative to the rest of the Omineca region. The Community Bat Program is also running a fundraiser and selling bat-themed merchandise on their website for those who would like to donate, she added.
“Bats are absolutely vital to a healthy ecosystem,” Watters said. “We want to help people figure out how to safely coexist with them.”
