Beware of the bats; Forget Batman, these creatures are best left alone and can pack a nasty, infectious bite

Reprinted from: The St. Catharines Standard - August 4, 2006

Matthew Van Dongen

They eat mosquitoes and we smile. They're kind of funny-looking, if you don't look too close at their teeth.

But if you wake up in the morning to find a bat in your bedroom, it's no laughing matter.

It's bat season in Niagara, as baby flying mammals born in May and June reach adulthood and begin leaving their roosting sites.

And every year, at least a few of the mosquito-eating machines test positive for rabies, according to Niagara's public health department.

So far this year, three bats have tested positive for the deadly virus.

"The majority will not have rabies. There's no need for unnecessary fear," said Andre Laflamme, a manager of health protection and promotion for the department.

"But the risk is there and people should be aware."

Bat teeth are so small their bites can go unnoticed, especially if you're sleeping, Laflamme said.

So if you wake up with a bat fluttering around the bedroom, the public health department recommends seeking medical attention - likely a rabies shot - just to be on the safe side.

Laflamme doesn't recall anyone ever becoming sick as a result of a bat bite in Niagara.

But because no cure exists for rabies, once serious symptoms develop, Laflamme said no one should take bat bites lightly.

Bats are the only animal in Niagara still testing positive for rabies, Laflamme noted.

The provincial Ministry of Natural Resources is still trapping and vaccinating raccoons as a precaution in a 10-kilometre swath along the Niagara River every year.

But senior program technician Tore Buchanan said Niagara has never hosted a rabid raccoon, and it has been several years since there was a positive rabies test for a skunk or fox.

Bats pose a unique challenge for testing because they're difficult to catch, said Bill Dowd of Humane Wildlife Control.

The Hamilton-based company spends a lot of time in Niagara each summer clearing out bat-infested attics and plugging holes.

Young, disoriented bats often end up flying into homes, he said.

"They can fit through holes the size of a dime," he said. "It doesn't take much for them to squeeze into the home."

Dowd's job is to give the bats a one-way exit strategy and patch up any remaining entry holes.

Killing bats is illegal, he noted, and catching them can be dangerous for inexperienced homeowners.

Catching and testing a stray bat may seem preferable to the alternative for the homeowner - getting a rabies shot.

But Laflamme stressed homeowners should only attempt to catch a bat if they're sure they can do so safely.

"You don't want to expose yourself to any more risk," he said.