(Photo courtesy of Think Wild Central Oregon)
Do you have bats roosting where you don’t want them? Mysterious noises in the attic? Want to encourage insect control on your property? Now is the time to begin planning for bat exclusions and habitat installations, since seasonal restrictions on interfering with their colonies end August 31. Think Wild can help you humanely deal with bat issues and install bat houses to provide roosting sites away from eaves, attics, and other human spaces.
Bats have adapted to urbanization and habitat loss by occasionally choosing human structures for roosts, which can be unsafe for the bats as well as humans. “Most of us want to help Central Oregon’s bat populations, but that doesn’t mean we want them roosting in our homes. Think Wild gets dozens of calls every year from homeowners – especially those living near the river or in log cabin homes – needing help with bats roosting in their attics, eaves, and roofs,” said Sally Compton, Think Wild Executive Director. “The best way to prevent bats from entering your house is to “bat-proof” buildings; Once the bats are safely evicted, find and block any spaces larger than a nickel through which bats could be entering.” Think Wild can perform evictions and exclusions of bats through their Humane Wildlife Services Program. Contact them via their website or email wildlifeservices@thinkwildco.org to discuss your bat concern and schedule a consultation with their team.
Homeowners can also add bat houses to their property to support bat populations while keeping them out of attics and eaves. Bat-proofing your home and providing alternative roosting sites can support Central Oregon’s bat populations, helping decrease conflicts with these insect eaters while still enjoying the benefits of their presence. Bats, with their unique natural history and remarkable adaptations, are integral to our ecosystem. By understanding bats’ needs and challenges, and by adopting coexistence strategies that prioritize their well-being, we can ensure that bats have safe habitats for roosting, hibernating, and reproducing.
Bats are the only fully flighted mammals in Oregon. These small nocturnal animals are typically found either solitary or in small colonies throughout the state. Bats play a crucial role in our ecosystem as insect eaters. Their activity helps control insect populations, making them essential allies in pest control for agriculture and forestry. However, our native bats face many threats such as pesticide use, habitat loss, domestic cat predation, and the fungal White-nose Syndrome. Many of Oregon’s 15 species are listed in Oregon’s Conservation Strategy as in need of help.
Close interactions with bats are not recommended since they can carry rabies and other diseases, but they generally do not bite people for no reason. Bats have earned a poor reputation, but they are diverse and important animals in many ecosystems worldwide. They make up about 20% of mammal species on the planet, and are more closely related to primates than rodents! Our local bats typically have an average of one pup per year, and can live up to 30 years. During their maternity season from June-August, it is not legal in Oregon to disrupt colonies in order to avoid accidental orphaning of young.
About Think Wild:
Think Wild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Bend, Oregon. Our mission is to inspire the High Desert community to care for and protect native wildlife through rescue and rehabilitation, outreach and education, and conservation. We provide veterinary treatment and care at the wildlife hospital, staffed by expert wildlife rehabilitation staff, animal husbandry volunteers, and our staff veterinarian. Wildlife conflicts or injuries can be reported to our Wildlife Hotline at 541-241-8680, which is monitored seven days a week from 9am to 4pm.
thinkwildco.org • Instagram • Facebook @thinkwildco
