How to help out your local bat population this Halloween – Hope Standard
October 24-31 is International Bat Week and this year’s BC Community Bat Program is calling on people to consider bat-friendly gardening options to help the animals.
“As Halloween approaches, images of spooky bats become commonplace,” the organization said in a press release. “This is the perfect time of year to counter bat myths and do something for bats.”
Bat week, the organization explains, is a week dedicated to appreciating bats and the many benefits they provide to their environment, including eating insects, pollinating flowers, and dispersing seeds and nutrients.
READ MORE: Take part in the annual Kootenay Bat Count
Planting native trees, shrubs, or flowers in your yard, as well as bright and night-blooming flowers, supports the insects that bats feed on in BC.
You’ll also help insects and bats thrive by controlling invasive plant species. Consider spending some time learning about invasive weeds and removing them from your yard, back alley, or local park.
“Bats in BC are helping to control agricultural and forest pests and mosquitoes in our yards – but now bats need our help,” said Elodie Kuhnert, regional coordinator for the Kootenay Community Bat Project.
“Providing a safe and healthy habitat for bats has always been important as more than half of the species in this province are classified as endangered. With the continued spread of white-nose syndrome in Washington state, bat conservation is more important than ever as we anticipate impacts in BC in the near future.”
Bat week also coincides with the time of year when bats begin to leave the neighborhood to hibernate until spring, when warm weather and insects return to feed.
It’s important to note that if you happen to see a bat this winter, you should report it. There will be continuous surveillance for white-nose syndrome – a fungus affecting wintering bats – throughout the winter, and sightings of dead bats or bat activity during the winter should be reported to community bat programs.
Winter is also a good time to carry out renovation works that may have been delayed due to the presence of bats, e.g. B. cleaning or repairing bat boxes or work where bats are not disturbed or injured.
Visit www.bcbats.ca to report winter bat sightings and learn more about the BC Community Bat Program and Bat Week activities, as well as ways you can help your local bat population
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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