Tips on how to handle these dangerous, but important animals

By Braden Nelsen

UTAH – Odds are, most MorganCounty residents have seen more bats than they think. While walking along at dusk, if there’s ever something that looks like a bird flying erratically, more likely than not, it’s a bat just starting its evening.

Bats are just one of the many animals native to Utah and can be found in most places in the State. While some may deem them creepy, they are a vital part of the ecosystem and actually can eat thousands of insects each night, including some of their favorite snacks, those pesky mosquitoes.

The danger with bats can arise from the fact that they can be, in fact, carriers of disease, the most dangerous of which is rabies. As these animals make their way across the county and state either looking for a home, or migrating, contact with human beings to one degree or another is inevitable.

The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has offered helpful tips on how to safely interact with bats,

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After being transported back to the 1950s in the final season of this popu- particularly during the late summer months when baby bats, or pups, may be born:

“This timeframe is the hardest time of year for dealing with bat nuisance issues,” DWR Mammal Conservation Coordinator Kimberly Hersey said. “Since the young can't fly yet and are reliant on their mother’s milk, preventing the mothers from returning to their roosting spot will kill the babies. Because bats are a protected wildlife species, it’s illegal to kill them. I've also seen where poorly timed removals can lead to bats in attics suddenly finding their way inside someone’s home because the mothers are trying to reach their young.”

“So, unless there is a human health and safety issue where bats are coming into close contact with people, we do not permit bat colony removal during this time of year. However, you can take actions to prevent them from getting into the living areas of your home. Although it may be inconvenient, you should wait until the young can fly, and then you can safely, humanely and permanently address the problem.”

If a bat does make its way into a living space, the DWR offered the following tips to safely get them out without hurting the animal, or the resident:

• Wearing heavy leather gloves, place a small box or can over the bat.

• To create a lid, slide a piece of cardboard between the can and the surface where the bat was located (usually a wall or curtain), enclosing the bat inside the container.

• Then, take the bat outside and release it on a tree or other high object.

• If bats are regularly using a porch to roost, try hanging streamers, balloons or other objects (like old CDs) that will move with a breeze. This seems to discourage bats from staying in the area.

As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if an attic is inhospitable for them, bats won’t take up residence. The DWR has given the following advice for residents who don’t want these winged animals taking up residence in their attics:

• Cool your attic with fans to make it uncomfortable for bats to take up

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residence.

• Inspect the outside of the building for openings and gaps in siding, chimneys and roof lines.

• Seal cracks and holes with caulking, hardware cloth, foam rubber, foam sealant, tar paper and chimney caps. Do not do this, however, when bats have pups from May through August. Fall is the best time to seal these openings, especially when bats are vacating their roosts.

• After August, when the young can fly, you can also place bird netting over an exterior opening. Staple it down at the top and the sides, leaving the base open. Bats will be able to drop down the netting to leave, but cannot reenter the roost. Leave the netting in place for four to five days or until all the bats have left, and then seal the holes. If residents are concerned and want more information, or professional help in removing these nocturnal neighbors, they can visit the Wild Aware website at https://www.wildawareutah.org/wildlife/bats/. l lar “Archie” comic-based show, Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) each enter the Miss Teen Riverdale pageant, helping Ethel (Shannon Purser) to compete as well.

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