Bat Week 2024
Halloween images of spooky bats and blood-sucking vampires are classically fun. However, they have also created fear and misconceptions about these important animals. International Bat Week is from October 24 - 31, and it’s a great time to bust some myths. The BC Community Bat Programs are encouraging everyone to learn a fact or two about the 15 species of bats that live in British Columbia.
Celebrate Bat Week. Learn about the 15 species of bats that live in BC by visiting www.bcbats.ca, going to the library, hosting a bat party, or visiting an educational display or talk in your area. Photo by Paula Rodriguez de la Vega
“Host a Bat Week Party or other special event to get others excited about bats,” says Julianna Laposa-Wilde, Southern Vancouver Island Community Bat Program coordinator. “You can feature bat-themed games or trivia, a bat costume contest, and foods and drinks in the shape of moths, mosquitos, or other insects as this is what our bats eat here - anything to highlight our amazing bats!” The bats in BC are major predators of insects, devouring many insects that are considered pests to our forestry and agricultural industries. This makes them an important part of our economy as they provide millions of dollars worth in natural pest control.
“If you want to make handing out candy more entertaining, how about developing some bat trivia?” says Laposa-Wilde. You can find more information on bats at www.bcbats.ca or at www.batweek.org.
Little Brown Myotis are endangered due to White-nose Syndrome, a disease that has decimated bat populations in eastern North America. Report winter bat activity or dead bats to www.bcbats.ca. Photo Credit: Jordi Segers
“Most bats in BC only have one pup per female in the summer and they face many threats to survive,” says Laposa-Wilde. White-nose Syndrome is a disease that has killed millions of bats in eastern North America. It is caused by a fungus that attacks them in winter when they are hibernating. It does not affect people or other animals.
“People can help us monitor bat populations by keeping an eye out for winter bat activity or dead bats. If you find one, report it,” says Laposa-Wilde who also cautions to never touch a bat with bare hands or allow your pets to contact it. The Southern Vancouver Island Community Bat Program is working with BC government biologists to collect and test dead bats in order to detect White-nose Syndrome. It has not been found in BC yet, but it is in Alberta and just south of BC, in the Seattle area. Please report dead bats online at www.bcbats.ca, call
1-855-922-2287 ext.12, or email bat@hat.bc.ca.
Clean out your bat box in fall or winter while the bats are away hibernating. Photo by Marge Sidney.
Bat Week also marks the time of year when bats disappear from our neighbourhoods, until the return of warmer weather in spring. As insect-eaters, our BC bats must leave their summer roost sites and migrate or hibernate to survive the winter. This absence means that this is the time of year to do home renovations that you have delayed due to bat presence. You can clean out and repair a bat box, or do bat-friendly exclusion work, without disturbing or injuring bats.
The BC Community Bat Programs provides information and promotes stewardship and citizen science in partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, and funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, Habitat Stewardship Program. For more information, please visit www.bcbats.ca or find us on Facebook under Got Bats? BC Community Bat Project.
Events happening around Victoria during bat week:
October 24: HAT will be hosting our annual Adopt a Bat Fundraiser, kicking off Bat Week on October 24. For more information visit www.hat.bc.ca/bats.
October 26: YYJ Halloween Market. The Halloween Market celebrates spooky season with a chance to learn about and support local bat conservation efforts. Ticket sales from early bat shopping hour will go to HAT’s bat program! https://www.halloweenmarketyyj.com/tickets
October 26: Sooke Spook - an evening explore museum grounds, hear some spooky stories told by actors, wear costumes, enjoy food, educate folks on bats, and have fun. Visit sookeregionmuseum.ca/special-events/ to learn more
October 27: A Bat-tastic Time - bring your little ones (5 years and under) and join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for games and activities designed to help you learn more about the world's only true flying mammals. Visit www.crd.bc.ca/about/events to learn more.
October 27: HAT, in collaboration with a naturalist from CRD Regional Parks, is co-hosting a bat walk from 1-2:30pm. Join us to explore the wonderful world of bats! This event is all ages. Visit www.crd.bc.ca/about/events to learn more.
October 30: Bat Talk with HAT & Pacific Wild on October 30 from 7-8:30pm. This is an online webinar. For details visit www.hat.bc.ca/bats