Bats

There are more than 1100 species of bats, which account for almost a quarter of all mammal species. Bats play a critical role in controlling insect populations which make them a great neighbour to share your yard with.

Bats are one of the most misunderstood species on our planet. Their reputation has been tainted by gruesome stories of vampires and darkness. Contrary to popular belief bats do not attack humans, are not blind, and less than one-half of one percent of bats are infected by rabies.

Since it was discovered in 2006 more than 5.7 million bats have died because of "White-nose Syndrome". Named after a white fungus found on the noses and wings of bats, WNS causes bats to awake from their hibernation and burn off their energy reserves. Often bats will emerge from hibernation too early and either freeze or starve to death. For more information on WNS and bat conservation efforts visit Bat Conservation International.

Little Brown Bat

A single little brown bat, the most common in our area, can eat up to 1200 mosquito sized insects in just one hour, often eating roughly their entire body weight each night. If an adult human ate as much as a bat did nightly, they would have to consume about 70 kilograms of food.

Setting up a bat house is the easiest way to keep bats in your yard. Bat houses should be places on a pole, barn, garage, or any other structure that is at least 4.5 meters tall. Take care not to place it near doorways or on your house in general, your day to day activity may disturb the bat and their droppings can make a mess. Place the box where it will get the most sunlight you want it to get as much sun as possible to it stays nice and warm! You may also consider painting it black, just be sure to use exterior water based paint and do not paint the inside. If there are any gaps in the roof make sure to plug them with a non-toxic silicone so that no water gets inside. It may take some time for the bats to adopt your roosting box so don't despair if you don't see them immediately!

When choosing a bat box make sure that the inside has a rough surface so that the bats can easily cling onto it, visit us in store or at www.backyardbirder.ca to view the bat boxes we carry in store!

Flying Fox

Bat Trivia

• The Worlds smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand. It weighs less than a penny!
• Giant flying foxes in Indonesia have wingspans up to 2 meters!
• The 20 million strong population of Mexican free-tailed bats from Bracken Cave in Texas eat approximately 200 tons of insects each night!
• Bats are vulnerable to extinction due to low reproductive rates with most producing on one young annually!
• An anticoagulant from vampire bat saliva has led to the development of a new treatment for stroke patients!