West Central residents, local property owners, and more are being advised of ways to address unwanted bats in buildings while still protecting this key species.
According to Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment, as a time between hibernation and the birth of their pups, May is an ideal time to safely exclude bats from buildings.
Erin Swerdfeger, conservation data centre zoologist with Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment, shared that a permit is required to install an exclusion device or bat cone, which is used to allow bats to leave but not re-enter.
"If you have a colony of bats in your home that you are unable to keep in the building because of issues like not being able to seal off the living area, we would advise people to first contact a licensed pest control operator," she said. "They can put up an exclusion device, so it lets bats leave on their own, which is great because bats can be really hard to find inside a home."
Saskatchewan is home to eight species of bats, two of which are listed a endangered under Canada's Species at Risk Act.
Protected under The Wildlife Act, bats cannot be killed or have their habitat disturbed without a license.
Anyone who is bitten or scratched while handling a bat should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
"The indices of bats with rabies in wild populations in Saskatchewan are really low, and bats don't seek out people to go and bite them," Swerdfeger added. "If someone has been bitten or scratched, it's because the bat is scared or if it's picked up, which we don't advise doing.
"For the most part, bats are just minding their own business and helping with pest control."
For more information, folks can visit Bats in Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Environment's website, contact centre.inquiry@gov.sk.ca, or call +1 (800) 567 - 4224.