Microbats: Natures Tiniest Bug Exterminators
When most Australians think of bats, they picture flying foxes flapping through the fruit trees, but we also have some amazing bat species that feed on insects instead of fruit, called microbats! Microbats don’t eat fruit, and most weigh under 10 grams. They’re easy to miss because they don’t roost out in the open, and are so tiny and fast they’re easy to miss as they flit through the night catching insects in midair! In South East Queensland we actually have over 24 species of microbats, with the smallest (the Little Forest Bat) weighing in less than 4 grams and the largest (Yellow Bellied Sheath Tail) 45 grams.
No Touch No Risk! Most peoples first encounter with a microbat is when they find one alone on the ground or hanging on a wall during the daytime. Any bat found alone during the daytime may need help! Like all bats, please Don’t Touch microbats, if you think one needs help call our 24/7 hotline for advice or to get at trained and Lyssavirus-vaccinated rescuer out to help. Microbats are not a threat to human health if you do not handle them, especially not with bare hands. ABLV is an extremely rare, but fatal disease. It is completely preventable and treatable with vaccinations, so if bitten or scratched by a bat, please immediately contact your local doctor, nearest public health unit, or the 13HEALTH information line (13 43 25 84).
To date no other animals have been infected by Australian Bat Lyssavirus, including dogs and cats.
Only three species of microbat have been identified with Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV). Since then all bat carers must have pre-exposure vaccinations to enable them to rescue and care for bats safely.
Microbats are not aggressive, and care much more about eating all your resident mosquitos and other bugs (a colony of microbats can eat thousands of insects a night!) than going near people. While they have a spooky reputation, microbats are actually intelligent social animals that can live for over 20 years, have best friends, and are dedicated mothers. Microbats play an important role in the Australian ecosystem, and it is illegal to disturb or injure them like all Australian native wildlife. Microbats are incredibly valuable to agriculture and humans because they act as pest control agents.
Found A Microbat on the Gold Coast or in the Scenic Rim? BatsQLD can help! Here’s what to do if:
A Microbat’s Stuck In My House
If you have a microbat in your house on the Gold Coast, BatsQLD can help.
It’s pretty rare, but microbats can accidentally get trapped in a house and need assistance getting out. They won’t fly in your hair, but they will fly in circles trying to find an exit. Don’t try to catch it! If the bat is still flying around, you should contain any pets in another room, turn off your ceiling fan, open all the doors and windows you can and turn off the lights. The bat will usually fly out as soon as they can, but please don’t try to swat at them or grab them! If the bat isn’t leaving or is on the ground, please don’t touch it, give out hotline a call 0447 222 889 and one of our rescuers can come collect the bat. Microbats can become dehydrated very quickly, so they sometimes need a bit of R’n’R with an experienced carer if they’ve been stuck inside for more than a day.
I Found A Microbat on the Ground
Don’t Touch! Call our hotline instead for help and a rescuer can respond. Any microbat found on the ground needs help. Microbats can’t easily take off from the ground, and if they’re grounded they’re usually injured or unwell and won’t recover without specialized care. A microbat hanging alone on a wall or other surface also needs help. Microbats are nocturnal and should be sleeping in a safe protected roost during the day, so if you find one hanging alone, especially during the daytime, call our 24/7 hotline! One of the biggest threats bats in suburbs face is cat attacks, which often leave the bat injured with a deadly infection from cat saliva. A bat on the ground cannot take off and cannot defend itself, but any wild animal can behave unpredictably if touched. Do not pick up or touch microbats. If you think one needs help call our 24/7 hotline for advice to get a Lyssavirus-vaccinated rescuer out to help.
I Found Microbats In My Pool Umbrella
Some species of microbats are evolved to roost inside treebark and leaves, and now that Australia has less old-growth trees, they’ve had to improvise. Sometimes microbats discover that roosting in the folds of a closed up pool umbrella is nice place to hang! Microbats like to sleep during the day and change roosts regularly, so people normally find them when they open their umbrella for spring. Don’t Panic! If you can, just leave the umbrella like you found it, if it’s already open don’t close it back up. The microbats will usually switch to a new roost with less human attention. If you are able to leave the umbrella closed and leave the bats there, having a group of bug exterminators in your backyard is a great asset! Microbats won’t bother people, and usually change roosts within a few months anyways. If any bats fall on the ground don’t touch them, call our hotline to get a rescuer’s help.
I Have Microbats in My Roof
Microbats typically roost in trees hollows and caves, but as the forests in Australia have been replaced with suburbs, some microbat species now make their home in the house roofs occasionally. Unlike rats or possums, microbats won’t chew on wiring or damage the house, but use pre-existing spaces. Wildlife rescue organisations and the public are not permitted to relocate microbats or other native wildlife. We can provide advice on how to safely live near and around wildlife, the key factor being to not to touch bats to prevent the spread of ABLV. If a bat accidentally flies into your house, don’t try to catch it! If the bat is still flying around, you should contain any pets in another room, turn off your ceiling fan, open all the doors and windows you can and turn off the lights. You can also encourage more bat habitat by installing a bat box nearby click on the QR code to build your own.
If you are trying to convince microbats to leave your roof, it’s important to get advice and take steps to avoid trapping the bats inside or injuring them. BatsQLD is happy to provide advice on how to safely exclude bat colonies from buildings. When you hear microbats in your walls or ceiling it is more likely when they have during the summer months. The mothers may return several times through the night to nurse the babies, as they cannot fly and will remain inside the roost. This is why bat exclusion attempts cannot happen during the Spring and Summer months (October to April), as the babies will be trapped inside and die. The best time to attempt an exclusion or request the help of a permitted wildlife relocator is during the Autumn months when they no longer have dependant young and are most active. Safely excluding bat involves time to ensure the bats can safely leave the space but not return through small gaps in the roof or walls. The first step is to identify where the bats are gaining access to the roost entrance, there are usually multiple gaps and points which can be quite small. Each access point must be sealed off except for the main access (remember, you need to allow the bats to exit to roost to avoid killing them- which will smell and can attract even more wildlife!) To allow bats to safely exit, a one-way flap can be installed over the main exit point, a thick but flexible piece of plastic can be attached over the entry point so the bats can push the flap out to exit but not fly back in. Roosts need to be monitored for several at dusk to ensure the bats are successfully leaving and unable to get back in. Leave the flap in place for several days to confirm no more bats are exiting the roost before sealing the last remaining exit/entry point. Like all native Australian animals, bats are fully protected by Australian law and play important roles for native ecosystems by eating mosquitos and other pest insects.
There are plenty of great resources about microbats in Australia, check out some of our favourites:
https://www.allaboutbats.org.au/
https://www.ausbats.org.au/uploads/4/4/9/0/44908845/bats_fascinating_creatures_feb_2018_high_res.pdf
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/article/bats-the-flying-mammals-in-dire-need-of-a-pr-manager/