By Selena Cole

Did you know that it’s possible to see 14 of the 16 different species of bats found in BC in the south Okanagan? Our climate is not only appealing to us humans – the hot, arid climate and diverse habitat (grasslands, forests, wetlands, rocky outcrops) on the mountain are ideal habitat for bats!
Bats found in BC only eat insects. Loads and loads and loads of insects, especially moths. A mature bat can eat its entire weight in bugs in one night! The species found in the south Okanagan do not eat fruit and do not pose a problem for gardeners, orchards, or vineyards. Bats also aren’t rodents – in fact, they are more closely related to primates.

Bats live in large groups called colonies and will return to the same nesting and roosting sites year after year. Some species hibernate in the winter entering a state called ‘torpor’, and other species migrate south in the fall and back north in the spring. If you find a hibernaculum in winter or a maternal colony in the spring, please don’t disturb it – bats are extremely sensitive to any kind of disturbance during these periods and should be left alone.

It is a common misconception to associate bats with rabies and disease. While they can carry rabies, occurrences in BC and Canada are rare. And the benefits these little flyers provide far outweigh any potential risk. If you do see a bat acting strangely, such as flying in the daytime, contact the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

Want to help our local bats and entice them to your yard?  

• Conserving bat habitat is key. Bats, like many wildlife species in the south Okanagan, are threatened by loss of habitat. They need roosting sites in forests, places to forage in open grassland meadows, and creeks and wetlands.
• Whenever possible, retain old snags and large dying trees located 30 metres or more from your home and any out-buildings.
  • While FireSmarting our properties is important, it is possible to safely retain these habitat features while minimizing fire risk. In fact, you can even FireSmart your snags and large dying trees by eliminating any ladder fuels and excessive dead vegetation under the snag or tree, giving it a better chance to survive a wildfire.
    • Ladder Fuels can carry a fire burning in low-growing vegetation to taller vegetation, such as low-lying tree branches and shrubs and trees under the canopy of a large tree.
• Encourage the growth of native plants which attract the native insects that bats (and birds) depend on.
• Minimize or avoid the use of pesticides, as most do not just target the insect you want to get rid of, but rather targets insects that bats (and birds) eat, including helpful pollinators.
• If possible, keep your cat indoors. It’s safer for them and safer for bats and birds alike. If your cat enjoys being outdoors, consider building an enclosure for them.
• Install a bat box on your house, out-building, or a large tree. Because bats live in colonies, they don’t search out a new roost every year. Bat boxes are most effective if you have noticed bats frequenting your yard or want to encourage them not to nest in a specific location like the attic in a barn, for example.
• If you have bats nesting in a location that needs to be moved, please contact a professional bat-removal company. These folks will ensure the bats are relocated safely.

For more detailed information on bats in the south Okanagan, including the species we can see and what we can do to help them, please see the following links.

https://www.osstewardship.ca/allaboutbats
https://osca.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sos_bats.pdf
https://ecofriendlywest.ca/species-diversity-4-very-different-bc-bats/
https://bcbats.ca/
https://bcbats.ca/bat-basics/bat-species-in-bc/

Selena Cole is a retired environmental scientist and program lead for the AMFRS Wildlife Safety Program