When you think of Halloween, a few symbols spring to mind: jack-o-lanterns, witches, ghosts, skeletons, black cats and bats. However, this year the Nature Conservancy of Canada, with help from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, would like to change the way you think about bats. There’s more to these mammals than spooky Halloween-inspired stories. In fact, they may be one of the world’s most misunderstood animals – and they need our help. BC has 16 species of bats, and half of them are currently listed at risk due to one or more conservation concerns.

Protecting BC’s Bats

Cori Lausen, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada’s Bat Biologist, is working to protect BC’s at-risk bats. She shares, “The reality is that bats are some of our most important species. The public would be surprised to know that bats are incredibly helpful to humans. They eat large quantities of insects that are harmful to our agriculture and forestry industries and in some areas of the world they play a key role in pollination, as well as help in seed dispersal.” In fact, all bats in Canada are insectivorous, consuming up to 500 mosquito-sized insects per hour.

BC’s bats are under threat from something called White Nose Syndrome. The name may sound a little funny, but this fungus is deadly serious. More than six million bats have died, virtually wiping out bat populations in some parts of Eastern North America including Canada’s Maritimes. In part, this pathogen may be spread by humans accessing bat hibernation sites. During the winter bats go into hibernation, relying on their limited fat reserves to survive. Bats are sensitive to noise, light and physical disturbances, which can bring them out of hibernation, causing them to use their stores more quickly and threatening their survival.

Build a Bat House This Halloween

So how can you help? Cori Lausen says, “If you come across a colony of bats in your home or business, it’s best to contact wildlife officials with this information, as we are trying to determine significant locations of roosting bats.” You may also want to leave them undisturbed if they’re isolated from human activity. They do not gnaw on wood, wires or insulation and will not damage the structure. If they’re becoming a nuisance, contact your local SPCA for help in removing them safely. Or consider providing them with a safe and suitable home by putting up a bat house on your property. Used for more than 60 years, bat houses look like bottomless birdhouses.

Building a bat house could be a fun and interesting Halloween project for your family. To find out more about bat houses, including where you can buy one or plans for building your own, head to: www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html.

Happy Halloween!