If you are like me, you are getting down to the last couple of rows in your woodshed for this year. The stack of nicely split wood that you put undercover last year is a very attractive hibernation location for some of our local bats. They can crawl a long way in through those crevices towards the rear few rows where a nice, cool, stable temperature regime exists, perfect for a hibernating bat.
You come along to take an armload back to the house for that evening fire, it’s dusk and a bit difficult to see. Pulling out that last piece, Oh my! A Bat! He is moving very slowly, is he hurt? What should I do?
Likely he is not hurt but, he is hibernating. The heart rate of a hibernating bat is about 10 beats per minute and only 1 breath per hour, whereas to fly, his heartrate needs to increase to 1000 beats per minute. This is why he is slowly crawling and not flying.
The best you can do is, wearing thick gloves, move him on a piece of firewood to another location in your woodshed that you won’t be using this year. This way your bat can crawl back into a crevice that won’t be disturbed again this season. When it warms up and insects start flying your bat will leave the woodshed joining others in the bat community and roosting elsewhere for the summer season.
And of course, “anything bat” you can call or email me,
Rob Welsh: 250-246-1547 rmwelsh@telus.net