Bats in Southern British ColumbiaNocturnal Insect PatrolHow old do bats get?This question was answered for me as I used to have a visitor every day during the summer. It was notable because usually bats are nocturnal, and only emerge from their cave or hiding place at night.The ‘one o’clock bat’ would show up every day, spend a few minutes fluttering over the pond to dip his nose in for a drink, then he would land on a nearby tree, rest for a while, then fly off again. This happened for three years; I am imagining that was how long the ‘one o’clock bat’ lived. As bats are nocturnal, we hardly give them a thought, but they’re a valuable inhabitant of any wildlife trees in the area, caves and sometimes, your attic or the belfry of a church. Huge colonies can be found roosting under bridges, emerging in an impressive swarm in early evening to hunt. Rarely seen in daylight, we tend to forget about bats, but they are incredibly useful creatures. Flying around at high speeds in complete darkness, they catch an amazing number of moths and other insects using their special skill of echo location. Emitting a very high pitched squeak, they listen with their large satellite dish ears for the return of the sound bouncing off inanimate objects. This ensures that they don’t fly into trees and buildings, and enables them to catch their prey as it flies along. I’ve also seen bats during the day over a lake, fluttering along the surface of the water in pairs, mating, 
but generally they fly at night to catch their favorite prey, moths.Bats need a dark undisturbed place to sleep, which they do by hanging upside down by their claws, rubbery wings wrapped around them. In protected colonies in caves, behind the peeling bark of a wildlife tree, inside attics or belfries they emerge at night around dusk to hunt their prey. Habitat Loss and DiseaseBats are now endangered by two major factors - loss of winter roosts, as well as wetlands and wild habitats being paved over or destroyed in the name of progress – and now a new and potentially tragic disease has just been identified in bat populations called white nose syndrome.It apparently affects bats in hibernation during the winter. As they go into torpor to save energy until the insects hatch out in the spring, the white nose fungus inhibits their deep sleep and causes them to use the energy that would normally sustain them for long periods. They starve to death. In some caves the mortality rate is up to 75% of the population, which has unknown consequences for the bats themselves, as well as repercussions for the ecosystem. The main bats we find here in Southern Interior British Columbia are the Little Brown Bat, which congregate in large colonies and consume incredible quantities of insects while we innocently sleep. As mammals, they give birth to live young, and nurse them until they are old enough to fly. Bat RescueIf you have a bat inside your house – don’t panic just because they are. Try and cover it with a cloth and take it back outside. They'll try and intimidate you by hissing with mouth wide open and tiny sharp teeth showing.If you or a pet is bitten by a bat, seek medical attention as bats do carry the dreaded rabies bacteria and quick action is needed. Apparently, the series of painful and expensive injections needed in case a bat is rabid is paid for by the medical system in British Columbia only if the bite occurs inside a dwelling - avoid getting bitten out in the open! I find bats fascinating, not just because of the legends and myths that surround them. Bats are elusive and shy, doing an incredible job of reducing the huge numbers of insect pests that eat our forests, and providing an acrobatic aerial display just after dusk.
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Wildlife and Birds
Important Visitors to your Xeric Garden
Don't be too quick to condemn insects or spiders - they are useful too. Trying to find out what kind of insects you have? Check the Insect Encyclopedia. Look for your spider on the Spider Identification page.
Many prey insects such as aphids will be attracted to dill or other nectar producing plants. In turn, they will feed wasps, crickets, ladybugs and many other beneficial insects.
You may find that hedgerows are not limited to wildlife habitat, they are also valuable for growing craft supplies.
Xeric gardens truly are the multi-taskers of the the natural world.
Find all pages to do with wildlife in your xeric garden on the Wildlife Site Map.
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