Part 4. Provide Bat Roosting Habitat on Your Property

  

Although Batman had the “bat cave”, the truth is that most bats in North America don’t use caves for summer roosting. There are a handful of spectacular exceptions, especially in the southern USA (such as Bracken Cave, Texas), and in British Columbia, Townsend’s Big-eared Bat has been found to use caves in summer, but generally caves tend to be too cold to support colonies of females and their growing young (known as maternity colonies). Maternity colonies and nursery colonies represent the largest aggregations of bats that we find in summer. Caves (and sometimes underground mine sites) are important though. In Canada, they most often represent critical habitat for over-wintering bats who use them for hibernation. Stable cold temperatures and high relative humidity helps them get through a long winter hibernation period when it is too cold to find any flying insects to eat.

Natural Bat Roosts

So what DO bats use for summer-roosting in North America? The most commonly used summer roost-type for bats is found in trees. Big trees, large diameter trees, trees with holes, trees with peeling bark, live trees, dead trees, accessible trees, trees of all different kinds of species but usually the biggest of whatever trees are at a site. So for bats, it is important to keep large, older-age class trees on the landscape, but it is also important to make sure there are smaller green trees that are in place to eventually replace the old ones (i.e., recruitment). Some types of trees, like Western Red Cedar can get very old and almost completely hollow inside. These hollow trees can stand for years in a forest and make fantastic roosts for some species of bats. Not all tree species age this gracefully. Most trees will rot out and fall over. Red Cedar seem to be able to stand in place for much longer, making them an especially important tree species where it exists. Tree planting, on large and small properties can benefit bats of all species. Generally, if you are planting trees, plant native species.

Potential bat roost trees can be in coniferous or deciduous tree species.

Radio-tagged bats have been tracked to trees in studies across North America in various forest-types. The general pattern of use is similar with bats of various species favouring older, larger diameter (generally greater than 30 centimetres diameter at breast height), taller trees with moderate to slight decay in older stands. There may be some differences between types of trees used by males or female bats or between roosts used by pregnant or lactating females. There is some evidence that suggests that smaller bat species may use spaces under loose bark more often that larger bat species which may use tree cavities more often. Tree species used varies depending on the forest type, however studies have found that bats may prefer trees on south-facing slopes in dry habitats that exhibit features especially in upper and midslope areas on the landscape.

Western Red Cedar used by Yuma Myotis on
 Cortes Island (photo: Christian Gronau)

Inside of Western Red Cedar roost showing Yuma Myotis roosting (photo: Christian Gronau).

If you have trees on your property, keep them. If they are big trees and maybe have a few dead limbs, get a professional arbourist to help you prune enough to make it safe, but leave as much peeling bark or spots with cracks and holes to allow for potential roost sites. If you have a big property and have a tree that needs to be taken down for safety reasons (maybe it is dead and the upper portion is unstable), cutting it so that you leave a really tall stump or a “stub” can potentially provide bats a place to roost. Some bat species have been known to use stumps, but if you are leaving a stub, try to keep at least a 3 metre tall length of the trunk standing. If the tree is dead but still stable, keep it intact. Other species like woodpeckers and owls will also make use of dead standing trees. The Wildlife Tree Committee of British Columbia have a number of publications that talk about the usefulness of dead standing trees and wildlife trees for many species of wildlife (including bats).

Rock roosts are also important. Bats in summer will use cliff faces, rock crevices in rock outcrops and spaces under boulders on talus slopes and just about any type of rock cranny they can find that offers the right kind of temperature and protection.  If you have rock habitat on your property, like cliffs or caves, maybe take a look at the Best Management Practices for activities around rock-type roosting habitat for bats (Chapter 3: Caving,Rockclimbing, Geocaching and other activities around caves and crevice habitatfor bats ). Essentially, for bats, protecting the rock feature from disturbance and from damage or removal will help protect bat roosting habitat.

Property owners generally cannot modify their land to provide winter habitat for bats, but if it already exists, this kind of habitat can be protected from disturbance or degradation.

Bat Houses

Small property owners in urban areas might look at building or buying a bat house. There is some fantastic information available on the Bat Conservation International webpage on bat house design (with free design templates) and advice on whether or not to paint your bat house (if you live in a cooler temperate area, consider painting it a dark colour; if you live in an area with very hot summer temperatures, consider painting it a light colour!), where to hang your house, how high it should be and other details to pick the best site for your bat house. Bat houses require their own discussion and lots of people are discussing them these days! Check out Bat Conservation International’s resources for bat houses.

Bat houses range from small single-chambered houses, to multi-chamber designs and a design known as a “rocket-box”. There are a lot of other designs out there as well. In my opinion, you want something that is multi-chambered if you are trying to offer a location for a colony of breeding females in summer. Rocket-boxes are also an excellent design because they allow for a number of bats to roost together,

Cross-section of a rocket box showing the central post and "layers" or chambers outside of the post. This is a demonstration model to show the interior of this type of bat box. Note the interior chamber walls have been "ridged" to provide bats with a surface to cling to with their little bat feet.

but also allows individuals the ability to move around in the roost so they can access a range of internal roost temperatures. If it gets too hot, they can move down to the bottom of the roost, for more warmth, they move to the top, inside the bat house to find the warmest spot. You need to consider what kind of climate you have in your backyard when you pick your bat-house design if you want bats to use it. Even better is to offer a number of bat houses with different designs. This gives your bats a chance to change positions depending on their energy needs.

Recently, there has been a surge of bat house building activity across North America as concerned citizens become aware of the plight of our bat species due to White-nose Syndrome. Populations of bats across North America have been in decline for some time, but huge losses of large colonies of hibernating bats in eastern North America has prompted listing at least three once common bat species as endangered. Among my own bat biologist peers, there has been some concern that “single-chambered” bat boxes might not be the best design for bats (especially mothers with young). The small box design is popular with builders but it doesn’t give bats the opportunity to use a variety of microclimates within the roost. The small boxes, once painted black, can get very hot when placed in a site that gets a lot of afternoon sun. Mother bats do like a hot roost, but if it stays consistently well above 38C or more, it may cause young bats to over-heat and die. More research needs to be done on bat species’ roost temperature preferences and tolerances and the variation of temperatures provided by different bat house designs. Multi-chambered bat house plans and “rocket-box” designs that provide a variety of microclimates within a single bat house roost and these bigger boxes may provide better bat roosting habitat. Designs for multi-chamber boxes and for rocket-boxes are available on the Bat Conservation International website.

If you are going to put up bat houses, I would recommend building a couple of different kinds (multi-chambered and rocket box for example) and give bats multiple boxes to choose from. Make sure they are at least 3 metres off the ground, and in a position where it gets late afternoon sun. If you are in a colder part of the country, paint the box a dark colour. It make take a couple of summers for bats to find your bat house. These structures may also require maintenance. Check them in the fall for wasp nests or loose boards. Make sure the interior is roughed up or that you have added plastic screening to the inside surface so bats have a good surface to hang from. Plastic screening can break down over time, so you might have to replace it at some point.

A simple rocket box design.

Rocket box from below.

Bat Roosts in Buildings

In summer, females raising young bats seek out very warm roosts – attics of houses or other buildings with access (bats can squeeze into spaces as wide as your pinky finger!) may be used as roosting sites for bats however not all bat species will use buildings. Large colonies are most often “maternity” colonies composed of pregnant or nursing mothers and their babies. In summer, males use separate, cooler roosts and they may roost alone or in small groups (usually less than 10). Maternity colonies can be quite large (depending on species); in British Columbia colonies of 100-200 Little Brown Myotis have been found using building attics, British Columbian Yuma Myotis have been known to form very large colonies (of 2000 bats or more) in building attic spaces. Big Brown Bats in Alberta have been found using buildings with colonies ranging from less than 30 to the largest with 800 bats. Another common “building user” is Townsend’s Big-eared Bat. In Canada, Townsend’s are only found in British Columbia, ranging throughout southern and coastal regions with records throughout the dry interior as far north as William’s Lake. This bat is easily recognizable with huge ears and a habit of roosting in highly visible open spaces (this is also one of my favourite bats with a sweet disposition and amazing flight abilities – it can hover!). The largest colonies of Townsend’s have been found in buildings in the B.C. interior and on the coast with numbers ranging from 150-250 bats.  

Townsend's Big-eared Bat roosting in a building in British Columbia. (Photo: Juliet Craig)

  

Property owners in rural areas might survey any older buildings they have on their property for bats. Bats can safely occupy human-used buildings. In the United Kingdom, there is legislation that protects bat roosts in buildings. Bats do not chew building materials or wires and they do not bring in “nesting material”. Their impact in a building can be minimized by ensuring that they cannot access human-living quarters and by setting up a system so that you can annually or biannually clean up under roost sites to remove accumulated guano (which makes excellent garden fertilizer because of the high nitrogen content). Bats that favour the use of buildings seem to be losing roosts as new building designs don’t necessarily accommodate bats the way old buildings have done in the past.

Most often when bats occupy a home attic space, the homeowner complaints are focused on the accumulation of guano (bat poop) in the attic or wall space and/or noise of little bat feet scrabbling around at dusk and evening. Bats can be accommodated through modification of the roost space. Sealing openings between the human-living space and bat-roosting space can eliminate intrusions of bats into the home. Setting up thick plastic sheeting across the attic floor area to catch falling guano can make annual clean-ups a simple task. A layer of insulation under the plastic sheeting over the attic floor can eliminate noise issues. With a little education and a bit of modification, bats can be safely accommodated in attic spaces of human-occupied buildings. Homeowners should ensure that their pets have pre-exposure rabies vaccinations (a reasonable precaution even without the presence of bats in your attic); children and occupants should be advised to never handle bats (a wise precaution for anyone) and annual guano clean up should be conducted using a mask (to protect workers from potential exposure to hanta virus from mouse droppings and/or histoplasmosis, a condition that results from the inhalation of spores of a fungus that can grow in the guano of bird or bat droppings in warm and humid conditions – these would be the same precautions you would take if you were cleaning up your chicken coop).

If you are going to exclude bats from your building (or modify the roost area), consider setting up bat houses at least one full summer before you begin an exclusion process. This gives bats time to scout out the potential roosting habitat you have set up for them which increases the chances that they will find your bat houses and use them. Exclusion should only be initiated when you are sure there are no bats left in the building roost. For most parts of North America with cold winter temperatures, this means very late in the fall after the first frost and a series of evenings when nightly temperatures are around or below freezing. Bats and their young are almost certainly out of their summer roosts by this time. Almost all of our Canadian bat species hibernate for the winter months. They leave their summer habitat and find an appropriate wintering site (such as a cave or deep crevice). Young bats are usually flying about a month after they are born, but may require another month at the roost while they perfect their flight abilities, learn to hunt and gain enough fat reserves to get them through the winter period. Timing of birth, first flight of young bats and ultimately the dispersal of the summer colony can vary from season to season and may vary significantly depending on your local climate. Get to know your roost by counting the number of bats exiting and noting the time when baby bats are born. It may take a year of observing your colony before you can safely conduct a bat-friendly exclusion of your resident bats.

Types of Bat Roosts

Bat roost types and the use of these roosts can vary depending on the time of year, sex of the animal (males and females choose dramatically different roost types in summer), reproductive condition (breeding females choose much different roosts than males or non-breeding females), species (we have 21 (possible) species of bats across Canada, some have very specific roost preferences, other are generalists), and the type of activity involved. The table below provides definitions for the various types of roosts that may be used by bats:

Roost Type	Definition
Ephemeral roost	A bat roost in a feature where the characteristics important to bats (e.g., microclimate) may change quickly and/or unpredictably; for example, an area under sloughing tree bark.
Permanent roost	A roost that is available for bat use over many years and has suitable characteristics (e.g., microclimate, access) that remain stable over time. Examples of permanent roosts include caves, cliffs, mines, bridges, buildings, and large hollow trees of a slow-decaying species, such as western redcedar (Thuja plicata).
Night-roost	A roost where bats rest at night between foraging bouts. Bats may roost singly or congregate.
Day-roost	A roost where bats rest during the day in spring/summer/autumn. Day-roost types include maternity roosts, bachelor roosts, and mixed male/non-reproductive female/yearling groups. Use of a specific day-roost may be seasonal or variable within a season.
Maternity roost	A roost used outside the winter period by adult females that are capable of reproduction.
Nursery roost	A roost where females congregate to give birth and raise their young (adapted from Knight and Jones 2009). A nursery roost is a type of maternity roost.
Bachelor roost	A roost used by one or more males during the day.
Fall migratory rest stop	A roost used by bats during migration between summer and winter habitats.
Winter hibernation roost	A site where one or more bats hibernate in winter (hibernacula [plural]). A given hibernaculum may be used by bats for only part of the winter, and may not be used every winter.

Permanent roosts should receive a higher level of protection than ephemeral roosts and therefore should always be a priority whenever there is development planning for an area. Hibernation sites are considered critical habitat and are generally believed to be relatively uncommon across most landscapes. Maternity roosts and nursery roosts should also receive high levels of protection, especially during the periods when they are occupied.  All roost sites are considered important, however further understanding of population structures for various species and behavioural ecology of bats is needed to understand just how important particular sites may be.

What is a significant bat roost?

Currently, bat biologists face the question, what constitutes a “significant” bat roost site. The Best Management Practices for Bats in British Columbia (BCMOE 2016) offers this definition:

   Significant bat roost:

· any hibernaculum or swarming site;
· a roost used by a nursery colony of a Red- or Blue-listed species (any number of individuals), or a nursery roost used by more than six females of other species (can include mixed species groups); 
· a roost used by a maternity colony of Red- or Blue-listed species (any number of bats), or a maternity roost used by more than four females of other species (can include mixed species groups); 
· any permanent type day-roost used by a male or a non-reproductive female of a Red- or Blue-listed species, or > 10 males/non-reproductive females/juveniles of other species (can include mixed species groups); 
· any night-roost used by a Red- or Blue-listed species or > 10 bats of other species (can include mixed species groups); 
· any regularly used roost of a species listed under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (any number of individuals); or, 
· any other roost deemed significant by an experienced bat biologist.

The “Red-list” includes any species or ecosystem that is at risk of being lost (extirpated, endangered or threatened); the Blue-list includes any species or ecosystem that is of special concern in British Columbia.

Summary

·         Retain older-aged trees on your property; protect cliffs, caves, rock outcrops

·         If you have bats using an out-building as a roost, try to find ways of retaining the bats and minimizing conflict

·         Build bat houses

·         If you need to exclude bats from an attic, use bat-friendly techniques and conduct exclusions after young bats are flying or after bats have left the roost for winter hibernation elsewhere. Providing alternate roosting sites in nearby bat houses may improve your chances of successfully relocating your bat colony out of your attic space.

Useful links to sites with bat house plans and advice on where and how to set up bat houses:

o   Bat Conservation International – Bat House Program

o   Canadian Wildlife Federation – How to set up and build a bat house (this site includes plans for “rocket boxes” which I think are excellent)

o   British Columbia Community Bat Programs – Install a bat house (with downloadable plans and advice for British Columbians)

o   British Columbia Bat Programs – Excluding bats from a building

o   Alberta Community Bat Program – Got Bats?

o   British Columbia Best Management Practices for Bats – Chapters 1-4  [Chapter 1: Introduction, Chapter 2: Mines, Chapter 3: Caves and Crevices, Chapter 4: Wind Energy]

o  Alberta Community Bat Program - Bat Houses in Alberta

Eight Things You Can Do to Help Bats - Part 3

The Third Step You Can Take to Help Your Local Bats

                        

                         Make Your Yard Bat Friendly!

Bats eat insects, so anything you can do to increase the number of night-flying insects will improve habitat for bats. When you are planting “big” elements in your garden, such as trees or shrubs, try to incorporate species that are native to your area. Native plants, trees and shrubs are more likely to support native insect fauna; native species may also be more tolerant of the climatic conditions in your area and use less water than exotic shrub and tree species. Deciduous trees provide better habitat for insects (such as moths and beetles that may be eaten by bats) than coniferous trees (such as pine and spruce).

Numerous North American studies have shown that pesticide spraying, both agricultural and residential, can lead to toxic effects on various insectivorous bat species. Pollutants (such as PCBs, heavy metals, and cyanide and other compounds) that settle into pond, wetland and lake sediments can be taken up by larval forms of insects that eventually emerge and become prey for flying bats. These pollutants can be traced in bat hair and organ tissues, they can accumulate in the fat tissue of bats and may cross the placenta into developing bat embryos. The effects of pesticides are biggest on the weakest and the youngest bats that rely most heavily on stored fat reserves.

Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes) captured in William's Lake, B.C. (with wingband). Photo by: Gina Roberts.

Water is also important. Breeding females who are nursing young bats are very thirsty after spending their day in a hot roost (temperatures can reach 37°C and higher). The first thing most bats do when they leave their roost in summer is to head for water to drink. A study of insectivorous bats in dry areas in Europe found that home range sizes for bats were very large and this was thought to be primarily due to the distances travelled to water sources. Another study in western North America found that reduced availability of water, especially to breeding female bats will reduce their ability to successfully raise young bats.

Ponds should be clear of vegetation to allow for straight flight-paths of bats skimming the water to drink.

Lines of shrubs or trees can also provide security cover for flying bats. Bats leave their roosts at dusk, usually flying from a day roost directly to a water source for a drink or then along routes to favoured foraging areas (possibly wetlands or other areas with abundant night-flying insect life). Birds of prey may hunt just at dusk, picking off commuting bats. Owls also will hunt flying bats. For this reason, bats like to fly along edges of forests in the shadows where they may be less visible to predators (it is also for this reason that bats seem to avoid flying as much on nights with a full moon, a behaviour referred to as “lunaphobia”). Some bat species will avoid crossing open areas and in the UK, studies found some bat species will avoid gaps as small as 10 metres across.

Providing roosting habitat for bats is also important. Trees with cavities, buildings and bat houses are all options for providing bat roosting habitat. This is a big topic though, and I will make that the focus of my next blog entry!

To create your own bat-friendly property:

• Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides on your property.
• Provide a pond with clean and open water for drinking bats.
• Plant shrubs and plants that support night-flying moth species eaten by bats.
• Plant shrubs and trees along fence lines or between forested areas and wet areas (such as wetlands, ponds or river areas) to provide safe cover for bats flying between day-roosting areas and foraging and drinking habitat. Many bats prefer not to fly across open areas because of the risk of being preyed upon by night-flying hunters such as owls or dusk-flying hunters such as falcons and hawks. Lines of trees and shrubs provide a shadowy cover for flying and commuting bats.
•  Keep your back yard dark at night. If you need lights on for security, use lights that are activated by a motion-sensor. Urban lighting has been shown to not be beneficial to bats. Although lights may attract insect prey, bright lights impair bat vision (yes they can see – but prefer dim lighting) and research has shown that most bat species do not benefit from lights. Don’t point lighting at a bat house or a roost.

Deciduous trees and shrubs provide leafy forage for moth caterpillars. Native and local species are great planting choices for your backyard. In particular moths and butterflies benefit from the presence of:

·         Oaks (Genus Quercus); on the prairies, this includes bur oak, elsewhere red and white oaks provide great habitat for Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).

Oak tree (Quercus spp.)

·         Cherry trees (Genus Prunus); includes pin cherry, chokecherry and plum among others.

Pin Cherry (Prunus spp.)

·         Willows (Genus Salix); willows are a diverse group, check which species is local and try to find a native one to plant; size varies from full trees to low shrubs.

·         Birch (Genus Betula); birches are widespread across Canada and the US but species vary depending on locality and habitat; again look for a native species to plant, it will be hardier and may support a greater variety of moth species.

·         Poplars (Genus Populus); includes aspen, poplar and cottonwoods; trees vary greatly in size and shape within this Genus, usually these are fairly fast-growing wherever they are grown.

·         Apple or Crabapple (Genus Malus); flowering crab trees and apple trees provide habitat for a variety of butterflies and moths; spring-flowering, these are also considered ornamentals.

·         Maple (Genus Acer); another diverse group of trees, garden centres carry numerous species that are not native to North America; stick to native species for best effect.

·         Blueberry (Genus Vaccinium); includes serviceberry (Saskatoon), cranberry, bilberry and huckleberry (among others).

·         Alder (Genus Aldus); range in size from full trees to shrubs; usually fast-growing.

Garden plants that bloom late in the afternoon or at night can include:

·         Evening Primrose (Genus Oenothera), many plants in this Genus are also drought-resistant, some are pollinated by moths (which means moths are using flowers for food, either using nectar and/or pollen).

·         Phlox (Genus name is Phlox), the foliage provides larval food to a number of moth species, flowers are fragrant, species of plants within this group maybe tall or low growing, flowers may be blue, violet, pink, red or white depending on the type.

·         Nightflowering/Silene catchfly (Genus Silene), also known as campion in the Pink family; the species Silene noctiflora is considered a weed on the Canadian prairies but its night-flowering habit attracts moths that feed on copious amounts of nectar produced by the plant and in turn the moths act as a pollinators.

·         Milkweeds (Genus Asclepias), the foliage provides larval food for developing moths and butterflies, these plants are also important for Monarch butterflies and are a recommended plant for butterfly gardens. Be sure to ask for your local, native milkweed species at your garden centre.

·         Goldenrod (Genus Solidago), tall (up to a metre) with yellow flowers that bloom in late summer, this plant spreads through seed production and rhizome growth (so planting them in a buried pot or pail with the bottom cu out might be helpful if you are trying to contain them to an area of your garden); unfairly this plant is blamed for causing seasonal allergies, however it blooms at the same time as the more likely culprit, ragweed. Goldenrod pollen has been shown to not be the cause allergies (it produces very little pollen and that pollen is too heavy and sticky to be blown around). Pollen and nectar is used by insects, including moths; the plant foliage is used by moths and butterflies as larval food (which may cause the formation of galls that maybe subsequently pecked open by woodpeckers that eat the enclosed developing larva). Above-ground parts of the plant are all edible.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

·         Purple coneflower (Genus Echinacea), purple flowers up to a metre in height, flowers are used by butterflies and bees and some moths will use flower heads as food for their developing larva. Drooping flowers may be a sign of moth larva in the cone head; however they likely will only affect a few of your flowers, so if you are a gardener please hold off with the pesticides. If you are trying to provide habitat for moths, congratulations! You have succeeded in providing moth breeding habitat!

·         Four o’clocks (Genus Mirabilis) as the name implies, they bloom in the late afternoon and evening, providing fragrant flowers and abundant nectar to night-flying moths such as Sphinx moths and hawk moths (Sphingidae) that act as pollinators for these multi-coloured flowers.

·         Salvia (Genus Salvia), foliage is used as food for developing larva of numerous moth and butterfly species.

·         Nicotiana (Genus Nicotiana) late afternoon, evening the flowers are very fragrant; the foliage is used by a number of moth species including the families Noctuidae and Sphingidae (hawk moths and sphinx moths).

·         Moonflowers – a varied group that includes a several groups – flowers all bloom in late-evening; provide nectar for foraging moths.

·         Aromatic herbs

Always check to see if your plant is an invasive species before you put it in the ground!

Canada Council on Invasive Species - http://canadainvasives.ca/

British Columbia Invasive Plant Council   http://bcinvasives.ca/

Alberta Invasive Plant Council https://www.abinvasives.ca/

Saskatchewan Invasive Plant Council - http://www.saskinvasives.ca/

Manitoba Invasive Plant Council - http://invasivespeciesmanitoba.com/site/

Ontario Invasive Plant Council - http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/

Prince Edward Island Invasive Species Council - http://peiinvasives.ca/  

Invasive Species Alliance of Nova Scotia - http:/ /www.invasivespeciesns.ca/

Yukon Invasive Species Council - http://www.yukoninvasives.com/

For more information on gardening to benefit wildlife see this page called “Ecosystem Gardening” http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/top-10-best-woody-plants-in-conservation-gardening.html for an excellent review. Also see “The Ultimate Guide to Gardening for Butterflies and Moths” http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/guide-to-butterfly-gardening/ for a list of resource books to help you with your garden planning!

Eight Things You Can Do To Help Bats - Part 2

 2.      Support Bat Conservation

Supporting bat conservation can mean donating dollars or it can mean donating your time. If you are going to share your hard earned cash with conservation groups, be sure how your dollars will be invested and how efficiently they are used. You can support bats by simply sharing information about them. Many people know little about this group or are very much misinformed. I have given numerous talks to elementary schools about bats over the years and it always amazes the teachers that the kids get so excited learning about this group of animals. Simply building and setting up bat houses is another way to support bats. There is a growing movement to do this across North America, but the movement needs staying power. Most bat boxes have a lifespan of about 10 years or so. If we support bats with artificial roost structures, such as boxes, they need to be replaced or maintained. 

·         Join or support a bat conservation organization

There are several groups in Canada that support bat conservation, research and education. Bats have always needed support to protect their habitats, but with the continuing spread of the fungus responsible for White-nose Syndrome, bats have moved up to top priority status for many conservation groups.

o   Bat Conservation International

o   British Columbia Community Bat Projects

o   Canadian Wildlife Federation – Help The Bats

o   Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada

Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Denman Island, B.C. Photo: Ecologic Research.

• Bat Conservation International (BCI) is a reputable organization who has done amazing things for bats around the world. Highly respected by bat biologists world-wide, BCI’s focussed programs to promote education, conservation and management have led the way for bat and bat habitat protection.
• The Community Bat Programs of British Columbia  first initiated in the Kootenay Valley is now available in communities across British Columbia. The program aims to help homeowners conserve and report their bat roosts on private property as well as educating the public about bats and assisting with construction and deployment of bat houses. They also help to sensitively exclude bats from buildings where bat presence is not compatible with use and assist with suggestions for appropriate alternate roosting habitat for resident bats. The program receives support from a number of sources including the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund of British Columbia (HCTF) who have a history of funding bat research in the province.
• The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) has been a part of the Canadian landscape since the early 1960’s. Most widely known for their “Hinterland’s Who’s Who” videos, CWF has been involved in education and conservation across Canada. Their “Help The Bats” program is focussed on education and promoting the construction of bat houses. They also run a community-based bat monitoring program coordinating with elementary schools and the public across Canada.
• The Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada (WCSC) currently supports a bat ecologist who is focussing on important bat work in Western Canada. Research includes surveys of bat diversity, fungal spore baseline work to detect the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (the fungus responsible for White-nose Syndrome), as well as important work to understand the behaviour of hibernating bats. They also currently support the initiation of the new North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), a citizen-science-based program to detect the presence of bats across Canada and the USA using a combination of bat detectors and driving transects.

·         Volunteer for programs making a difference for bats and bat habitat, or for wildlife habitat in general (this is not an exhaustive list but includes some of the major players in Canada)

There are a number of wildlife conservation organizations across North America who purchase or protect land. Their objectives may not be directly focused on bats, but they inadvertently are providing protection for important bat habitat. National, provincial and municipal parks may protect bat habitat and this includes historic sites that may have buildings that house roosting bats. There are many experienced wildlife biologists out there who, if asked, “What is the best way to spend money to conserve wildlife in Canada?” would answer, “Buy land.” I also think it is important to support research, but I firmly support the efforts to set aside land for the purpose of protecting ecosystems.

o   Ducks Unlimited – wetland conservation, protection and management are one of the keystone mandates of DU across North America. Ducks like ponds and wetlands; bats like ponds and wetlands. Our North American bat species benefit from conservation efforts for ducks and duck habitats. There are always volunteer opportunities with Ducks Unlimited and many ways to help conserve wetlands.

o   The Nature Trust of BC – manages an important bat hibernation site in Coastal British Columbia; this organization makes land purchases for wildlife and ecological conservation.

o   The Land Conservancy of British Columbia – makes land purchases and promotes programs to conserve bats (and other wildlife and ecosystems) in British Columbia. They also maintain a property on Vancouver Island that houses a large colony of Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Blue-listed/Vulnerable in British Columbia).

o   British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) – a federally registered charity dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of British Columbia’s ecosystems and species; one of their goals is habitat acquisition to conserve wildlife in BC, including bats.

o   Ontario Nature (formerly the Federation of Ontario Naturalists) – non-profit organization that promotes protection and conservation of a number of natural areas in Ontario with their own system of 24 natural reserve areas totalling 2400 hectares in Ontario. They also promote education and produce a quarterly magazine called “ON Nature”. They currently have no specific program for bats, but their efforts to preserve land and manage forests for birds also benefits bat species.

o   The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) – a long-standing, non-profit organization that promotes the protection and conservation of large, connected natural areas across Canada. CPAWS has no specific program targeted towards bat conservation, but its efforts to conserve natural areas protects habitat for bats.
o   The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) – an established non-profit organization in Canada with branches represented across Canada, the NCC works to conserve and manage natural areas across the country. 

Eight Things You Can Do To Help Bats

Start with understanding....

There is a lot of negative news about bats these days. It gets depressing if you just think about all that is going wrong in the world of bats these days, so I thought it would be helpful to create a list of things ANYONE can do to help bats. This is my first go at blogging - so I will write about eight things over a series of blog posts. Hopefully someone finds these useful!

First Step:

 1.     Get to know the bats in your area.

•             Bats are fascinating mammals that provide valuable ecosystem services through their consumption of huge numbers of insects. One study estimated the value provided by bats in pest control in the United States for one year was up to $53 billion US. Another study calculated that a colony of 100 Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) would consume about 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of insects in a four month period! Another study calculated that a colony of 150 Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) could consume 38,000 cucumber beetles, 16,000 June bugs, 19,000 stinkbugs, and 50,000 leafhoppers over a single summer! A mother bat nursing a young bat learning to fly can eat more than their own weight in insects in one night! 

•       Bats are also amazingly long-lived. Biologists have found bats that are 38 and 42 years old in Alberta and eastern North America! However, they reproduce very slowly. Most insectivorous bats give birth to only one pup per year (although some may have twins) and they only have one litter per year. Less than half of young bats likely survive their first winter. These facts mean that recovery of population losses can be very very slow. 

•           Many people think of their local bat population as a single “type” or as a single species. The truth is that there are many different kinds of bats – different sizes, using different parts of the ecosystem, eating different things and some of them are quite different in appearance! In Canada, the province of British Columbia has the most species with 18 different kinds of bats. Across Canada, there are 21 different species in total. The Prairie Provinces have around 8 or 9 different species. The further south you go in North America – the greater the variety of bat species. Worldwide, there are over 1000 different kinds of bats.  

•           Bats are found just about everywhere on the planet. They will use urban landscapes as well as wild lands including marshes, forests, cliffs, caves, from high elevations to low elevations. The only places without bats are those that are too cold and without available roosting habitat (e.g., the Antarctic and Arctic Regions).

Where do I start?

·         Look online for bat educational resources, especially Bat Conservation International who has been instrumental in bat conservation throughout North America and the world.

·         Look online for bat information provided by your province or state. Almost all provincial/state governments have a Department that handles Fish and Wildlife issues and many provide great local information on bats.

·         Consult your local library for a mammal guide for your area and figure out which species should be present.

·         Check out your local naturalist club and see if there are any bat enthusiasts. Join in and learn together!

·         Useful online resources for bats in Canada and the US:

o   Bat Conservation International (International batwork, based in Austin, Texas)

o   Western Bat Working Group (bat biologists, researchers, wildlife managers from Western North America)

o   BC BAT British Columbia Bat Action Team (bat biologists, wildlife managers, consultants working to promote bat conservation)

o   ABAT Alberta Bat Action Team (bat biologists, wildlife managers, consultants working to promote bat conservation)

o   Alberta Environment – Bats of Alberta

o   White-nose Syndrome Team

o   The Toronto Zoo – Bat Conservation Guide 

o   Organization for Bat Conservation (American organization, based in Michigan, USA)