Okanagan Wildlife Control: Are Bats Friendly Animals?

The relationship between humans and bats is complicated. Bats are neither friendly nor hostile to humans, but some humans have irrational fears of them. It may surprise you to learn how important bats are to your daily life. Professional bat removal in Okanagan is necessary if you find one or more bats roosting in your home because living in close proximity isn't good for either species.

Are Bats Friendly or Aggressive Towards Humans?

Right away, let's take this opportunity to dispel some of the most common misconceptions about bats. For example, the vast majority of bat species don't drink blood. Of the nearly 1400 species of bats in the world, only three feed on blood, and none of those three species live in Canada. They live no further north than Mexico. Even bats that do feed on blood prefer to drink from livestock rather than human beings. Bats don't get tangled up in people's hair, either. They don't really like flying too near humans, and even if they did, their echolocation would inform them that there was an obstacle in their path in time for them to correct course. The truth is that bats typically aren't aggressive toward humans, but not particularly friendly either. Bats are wary of large animals that could turn out to be predators. For this reason, they prefer to avoid humans as much as possible. They only become aggressive when humans behave in a way that they perceive as threatening, such as an attempt to remove the bat manually from your home.

How Are Bats Beneficial?

Bats are considered keystone species, meaning that if something threatens their survival, it could irrevocably alter the ecosystem in which they live. For example, bats eat mosquitoes and other harmful insects. Without bats to keep the population in check, insects could start breeding out of control. This would not only be catastrophic for the environment but also for agriculture as many insect pests eat crops. Many food crops rely on bats to pollinate them, which is how plants reproduce. In many cases, bats are the only pollinators for certain plants. Without bats, the food supply could diminish dramatically. Therefore, even people who don't like bats rely on them in ways they may not realize.

Why Do Bats Need People, and How Can You Help?

Humans rely on bats for survival, but the reverse is also true. Bat populations are declining at an alarming rate, and some species are in danger of extinction. There are several reasons for this, but one of the most significant is a deadly bat disease called white-nose syndrome. This condition is caused by a fungal infection, and humans are primarily responsible for spreading the spores when exploring caves where bats live. There are things you can do to help bats. For example, if you find one or more bats in your home, call professionals who know how to get rid of bats rather than attempting it yourself. Even without meaning to, you could unintentionally harm the bat during removal, and then it may not survive to reproduce. Hiring Skedaddle for professional bat removal in Okanagan also benefits you. Because of their vulnerable status, it is illegal to kill or harm bats. Even if it was unintentional, you may get in trouble if you harm a bat while attempting DIY removal. A frightened bat could become aggressive and bite you as you are attempting to remove it from your home, and bats are known to carry rabies.

What Does Assess and Remove Mean as It Relates to Bat Removal in Okanagan?

We remove bats by installing one-way doors over entry points in your home, but first, we have to assess where the bats are getting in and out. We also have to determine whether baby bats are present. Baby bats can't live without their mother, so removal has to wait until they can fly on their own. Learn more about wildlife removal in Okanagan.