With Halloween just around the corner, and bat decorations going up – bat enthusiasts around the province are supporting real bats by participating in International Bat Week.
International Bat Week, which takes place from Oct. 24 to 31, is all about appreciating the animal and the benefits they bring to the ecosystem such as eating insects to pollination.
“Bats in B.C. help control agricultural and forest pests, as well as mosquitoes in our yards – but now bats need our help” says Mandy Kellner, Coordinator for the BC Community Bat Program. “The conservation of bats in BC has always been important since over half the species in this province are considered at risk.”
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Kellner adds that with the continuing spread of white-nose syndrome in Washington State, bat conservation is more important than ever “as we expect to see impacts in B.C. in the near future.”
Bat Week is also the time of year to say “so long” to the bats out and about, until the return of insects with the warmer weather.
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Bats eat insects, meaning they leave their summer roost sites and migrate or hibernate to survive the winter. According to a press release from BC Community Bat Program, this is the time to do home renovation projects that have been delayed due to bat presence.
Anyone who sees bats this winter is asked to report it to the BC Community Bat Program to aid the organization in monitoring for white-nose syndrome. The program is requesting reports of dead or active bats starting on Nov. 1.
To learn more about bats this winter, visit batweek.org.
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