Bats won’t suck your blood

By Brandie Majeau

On October 26, Thorhild County offered a unique experience for community members. Lisa Card, the
Conservation Coordinator for ALUS Barrhead-Westlock-Athabasca, educated over a dozen community
members on a topic well-suited for the Halloween season: bats. Card provided an informative seminar
that served as a crash course in the biology and benefits of these incredible creatures. She engaged the
group by dispelling common bat myths and offering a variety of surprising facts to those in attendance.
This fantastic workshop spotlighted a species that ranges in size from that of a bumblebee to bats with
wingspans of up to six feet, all of which play an essential role in agriculture and forestry.

Card began her introduction into the world of bats by explaining that 20% of all mammal species are
bats, debunking the myths that label them as “flying rodents” or “rats with wings.” She clarified that
they are flying mammals from the order Chiroptera and not related to rodents. Bats are also the only
mammals capable of flight. It is worth noting that bats do not flap their wings; they require clearance
from their habitats to glide. Other myths debunked include the fact that bats do not cause damage due
to chewing, they are not blind (some have better eyesight than humans), only three species of bats feed
on blood, bats do not build nests, and they have an extremely low infection rate of rabies. The last case
of rabies caused by bats in Canada was recorded over ten years ago. It was also astonishing to learn that
some species of bats can live up to thirty years.

Alberta is home to nine species of bats, with the Little Brown Myotis (commonly known as the little
brown bat) being the most prevalent. What people often overlook is how these species benefit
Albertans. Bats are known for insect control, reducing the need for pesticides. They are also seed
dispersers and essential pollinators, responsible for pollinating five hundred distinct plant species. Lisa
Card continued her lecture by discussing the declining bat populations, which is concerning because bats
usually only have one pup per year. The declining numbers are largely due to habitat destruction,
collisions with wind turbines, and white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease
responsible for over seven million bat deaths. The spread of this disease in hibernating bats has led to
the closure of several caves to the public in an effort to halt its spread.

The event concluded with Card elaborating on what individuals can do to help the bat population,
including tips on attracting bats to certain properties. She encouraged people to spread the word and
share what they have learned. The Alberta Community Bat Program promotes citizen science and works
to protect the species while fostering a better understanding of the roles they play. For more
information, please visit www.albertabats.ca. As the session came to an end, participants were given
pre-cut pieces to build their own bat houses. This educational evening culminated with attendees
learning how to construct bat houses and taking their finished projects home, complete with optimal

installation guidelines designed to attract bats, making them friends to anyone who appreciates a
species capable of consuming up to 50 percent of their weight in insects each night, including
mosquitoes.