Rookie bats are roosting in unusual places across Greater Victoria, a pretty common sight for the end of summer across the province.
Residents might find a nocturnal friend sleeping the day away up a patio umbrella, or simply stuck to the side of a wall as young ones learn their way in the world, according to experts with the Community Bat Programs of BC.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 pretty normal this time of year, the pups are learning to fly and they鈥檙e leaving their roosts,鈥� provincial coordinator Paula Rodriguez de la Vega told the Victoria News. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a healthy, normal behaviour. If they鈥檙e flying around during the day, that鈥檚 odd; if they鈥檙e on the ground, that鈥檚 odd.鈥�
With the increased interaction, scuttlebutt across the region amped up the weekend of Aug. 23, with folks hearing more and more about bat bites. One person in Greater Victoria sought care after a bat bite, according to Island Health, whose communicable disease team is informed through physicians and community reports.
A high level of interactions is likely occurring, but only bites and scratches require medical care.
鈥淚f you have had contact with a bat, or been bitten or scratched, immediately wash the wound well for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention from your health-care provider or local communicable disease unit. Immediate washing of the wound is the most effective intervention,鈥� Island Health said in a written statement to the Victoria News.
Protected under the BC Wildlife Act, any bat found sleeping on a vertical surface should be left for as long as a week while it finds its way. If it鈥檚 in a position to cause trouble for children, pets or the animal itself, residents can call the Community Bat Programs of BC for advice on how to safely move it.
August and September are busy times in bat culture. Aside from young ones leaving home, they鈥檙e mating, migrating and feasting.
鈥淩ight now they鈥檙e foraging a lot and eating as many bugs as they can to fatten up,鈥� de la Vega explained.
鈥淏ats are really important because they eat a lot of insects. We only have insect-eating bats in B.C., and they play a really important role in pest control.鈥�
Our smaller species eat mosquitoes, and the bigger ones target other agricultural pests such as beetles.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to let them hang out for a week or so and let them move on on their own instead of disturbing them,鈥� de la Vega said.
Letting them be decreases the chance of human contact, which increases their chance of survival. Keeping those numbers up is important as experts anticipate the population will plummet once the deadly disease white-nose syndrome hits. The fungus that causes it, pseudogymnoascus destructans, is already here.
鈥淲hite-nose syndrome has not arrived in B.C. yet, but we鈥檙e bracing for it,鈥� de la Vega said. 鈥淪o the more people can learn about bats and how to be safe around them and how to coexist around them, the better chance bats will have a chance at resilience.鈥�
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