Category: ALPHA Board

It seems that various species of bats have been very prolific in the mountains this year. Several area HOAs, businesses, and homeowners have reported an increase in the number of these animals, with some being found dead or dying on their property.

If a bat, or other wild animal that normally would flee from you, allows you to get close enough to touch it, chances are that it may be sick or injured and care must be taken to avoid injury to you and others.

Handling or touching any wild animal is dangerous, not only because of the potential for a bad bite, but because it may be carrying, or infected with, any number of diseases that could potentially infect you or others who attempt to handle the animal and a sick or injured animal is much more likely to bite than one that’s not.

The purpose of this note is to let you know that several bats have been found in and around our community recently, with a few showing up dead near the Lilac Park pool. Calaveras County Animal Control came out to pick up one of the animals and it was tested for rabies, which it was confirmed to have. While in their natural habitat these bats pose no significant risk to people, care must be taken if you must handle any that may be found dead or dying on your property.

According to the CDC, the overall estimated number of bats infected with a disease like rabies is around 6%, however, you should treat ANY WILD ANIMAL you find as a potential carrier of this disease and avoid contact with it. Use a shovel to move and bury (at least 12″ deep) dead animals and wash your hands well with soap and water after moving one.

People can’t get rabies just from seeing a bat in an attic, in a cave, at camp, or from a distance while it is flying. In addition, people can’t get rabies from having contact with bat guano (feces), blood, or urine, or from touching a bat on its fur. But because of the risk of a bite, which can spread the disease, teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for children to learn.

If you are bitten by a bat — or if infectious material (such as saliva or brain material if it is killed) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound — wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately. Whenever possible, the bat should be captured and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing.

Many people have serious misconceptions about bats. Myths that they are vicious and often attack people are abundant. The fact is that bats are actually quite harmless and are important indicators of a healthy environment. Because bats are sensitive to high pollution and pesticide levels, they are useful as a warning sign to potential environmental problems. Bats can also be important weapons in combating insects that are actually dangerous to humans.

With the increased media coverage of deaths caused by the West Nile Virus, many people are looking for effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease. As most of us are aware, the West Nile Virus is primarily spread through mosquitoes. Mosquitoes make up a significant portion of a bat’s diet. A small bat can capture more than 1,200 mosquitoes in a single hour!

Bats cannot contract the West Nile Virus by eating infected mosquitoes. Besides mosquitoes, bats can help control the populations of beetles, moths, and leafhoppers. Many insects can hear bats up to 100 feet away and will avoid those areas occupied by bats. The effectiveness of bats in some areas diminishes the need for pesticides that can harm both the pests and their natural predators.

The point is, use care if you come across ANY sick or injured animal on your property and take appropriate precautions, but if you happen to see a bat hunting bugs as the sun goes down, know that they are helping to rid the area of other pests.

For more information about bats and rabies, click HERE.