Insectivorous Bats
What is an insectivorous bat?
 Ghost bat |
This is a very large and diverse group of small to medium sized bats, most of which feed on insects. Anyone handling bats or flying foxes must be vaccinated. |  |
| Insectivorous bat |
Capture
Note: Do not attempt to catch or rescue a bat unless you have been vaccinated against lyssavirus.
| The best way to catch these animals is to wrap a thick towel around their bodies. Be careful when you handle them, as their small size means they are easy to crush. The easiest way to transport these bats is in a soft cloth bag (e.g. bank money bag) tied at one end. These animals are escape artists and can get out of almost anything, so make sure the container or bag you use is secure. |  |
| Holding bat |
 |
 |
| Bat wing | Holding an insectivorous bat |
Housing
Initially, insectivorous bats can be housed in a fish tank with hessian stuck to the edges. The tank should have a tight-fitting lid (preferably fly screen). Thin branches can be placed in the tank for the bat to climb and pieces of bark can be loosely attached to the hessian to create hiding places. Never put bats in budgie cages, as they can get out and are impossible to find.
After intensive treatment, bats can be moved to a 2sq.m cage. This will hold about six to eight bats. This can be made from large open mesh and covered with flyscreen. Make sure all doors fit well, as bats can squeeze out of the smallest of cracks. Drape any solid walls in the cage with hessian to give the bat something to grasp. At least two removable nesting boxes can be placed high in the cage (these can be used when releasing the bats). Put some leaf litter and fresh browse in the cage as an extra source of food.
Feeding
Clean, fresh water should always be available and animals can be stimulated to drink by mist spraying small leafy branches in their enclosure.
It is very unusual for insect bats to eat anything but live food (especially injured adult animals). To adequately care for these animals, you will need a trap to catch live insects.
Bats can be fed on a variety of insects (e.g. mealworms, moths, crickets or small cockroaches). Make sure there are no pesticides being sprayed or residual pesticides around where you collect your insects.
Mealworms are low in calcium, vitamins and minerals and therefore should be placed in a container of insectivore and high protein baby cereal (ratio 3:1) for at least a day before feeding. A Wombaroo small carnivore mix can be offered on the end of a small spoon or as a crumbly mix from the end of a toothpick.
In an emergency, bats may take a mix of equal parts cooked egg and tinned cat food (not fish types). Mealworms and crickets can eat the bat's flesh, so it is important not to put too many live insects in an enclosure with a bat that cannot escape them.
An insect bat should be fed about one mealworm per gram of its body weight per day (e.g. a 30g bat can eat at least 30 large mealworms in a night). When the bat first comes into care, warm the mealworms by holding them in your hand for about five minutes. If the bat will not eat them, break the mealworm open and smear its intestines over the bat's mouth. This will give it an idea of the taste. Most bats will eat mealworms (they are like the lollies of the insect world).
Last updated: 11 January 2005