With spring upon us, the warming weather and hatching insects can bring back our nocturnal flying friends! Do you have bats that love to roost on your property? Do you know where the neighborhood bats roost is in the park nearby? The bat program is looking for your help to watch for when the bats arrive at their roosting sites. Keep an eye out for when they begin to emerge or when they arrive. You can email us at bat@hat.bc.ca and let us know your findings!

We also want to remind everyone that white-nose syndrome monitoring season ends May 31. White-nose syndrome is fungal disease, that although is harmless to humans, has devastated bat populations throughout North America. The fungus spreads to the nose and wings of bats while they are hibernating, causing them to wake up to wipe it away, wasting invaluable energy. This leads to hypothermia and starvation.

Increasing the number of reports from the public is the best chance to understand how WNS might spread and affect local bat populations, and how to respond. Though there is not yet a proven cure for WNS, several promising treatment options are being developed, and it may be possible to mitigate the effects of this wildlife health crisis.

If you notice any unusual bat behavior like bats flying during the day, or if you find any dead bats between November 1 and May 31st, please let us know at bat@hat.bc.ca.