Is Hamilton the ‘bat capital’ of Canada?

Bill Dowd calls Hamilton the bat capital of Canada." And he would know. His Hamilton-based wildlife control business is 32 years old and has offices nationwide.

Hamilton's bat moniker may be more apt now than ever before.

Calls from local residents with bat woes to Dowd's business, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, are up 20 to 25 per cent this year. Last year, they were up 20 per cent. That translates to roughly 50 to 75 calls a day this summer - and the numbers tend to go up in late August.

It's been absolutely crazy this year," Dowd said.

Why? Blame COVID-19. Dowd said with more people sticking close to home, the likelihood of spotting the quiet, nocturnal creatures is higher.

He also suspects hot weather and lots of rain are contributing to the proliferation; those conditions means more insects and an increased food supply for bats. Plus, Hamilton's proximity to water and green space likely help keep bat food supply plentiful. Bats that are healthier and happier and more likely to procreate, Dowd said.

Bat bites in Hamilton

Unfortunately, happy bats don't always equal happy residents.

Statistics from Hamilton public health show the city received 170 reports of bats biting humans last year, up from 149 in 2019 and 131 in 2018. This year, from January to June, 47 calls have come in.

The big concern, of course, is rabies.

In May, the city put out a release warning the public that a rabid bat had bitten a local resident. The person was being treated by health-care providers, the city said. It was the first positive case of a rabid bat in Hamilton since July 2019, but bats have tested positive for rabies almost every year in Hamilton," the release stated.

If a bat bites you, or even if you come into contact with its saliva, residents are told to wash the affected area with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately or call Hamilton public health at 905-546-2489.

If you're not 100 per cent sure you weren't bitten, you still might want to call public health.

The issue with bats is they're so tiny and so sharp, they could bite us and we wouldn't know we've been bitten," Dowd said. Especially if you're asleep - you go back and lie on your bed, you could roll over on it, it could bite you on the back or the back of your arm and you wouldn't feel it. It's like a tiny pinprick."

Eek.

What to do if you find one

If you spot a bat inside your home, Dowd advises you call the experts - a wildlife control company - rather than trying to tackle it on your own. The reasons why: you don't want to risk a bite, there might be more bats where that one came from, and bat guano - poop - can cause health issues. It's important to get it properly cleaned up.

Ancaster resident Tania Flynn did just that when her sharp-eyed daughter spotted a bat hiding on a curtain rod at their home this summer. Her family has lived in the house for nine years, but this was their first bat encounter.

Flynn called Skeddadle and they released the bat outside.

We were not going to play around with rabies," she said.

Dog and cat bites in Hamilton

While more residents are battling bats, the good news is other animals - mainly dogs and cats - are biting less. Or at least the city is dealing with fewer reports.

A total of 740 dog bites were reported to the city in 2020, with about 930 in 2019 and 840 in 2018. The numbers for 2021 seem to be tracking lower than 2020 - 330 reports from January to June.

Cat bites are also down, with about 320 bites reported to the city in 2020, 385 in 2019 and 410 in 2018. Just 82 reports came in from January to June 2021.

Cal Burnett, a supervisor with the city's animal services department, attributes these decreases to the pandemic.

People are less out and about ... less people over, less bites happening, more people at home, meaning more people probably around to ensure that the dog doesn't get loose," Burnett said.

Dog licences down

Unfortunately, dog licence numbers went down during the pandemic, despite the demand for dogs increasing.

In 2020, just 35,450 dogs were registered, versus 40,620 in 2019 and 39,630 in 2018.

Burnett says this is likely because city offices were closed during the pandemic, making it trickier for people to secure licences.

The city is now offering a promotion - a $20 gift card to Ren's Pets shop - to anyone getting their dog licensed. Licensing fees range from $16 to $72 depending on whether the pet is spayed or neutered and if you are a senior or have a disability.

Licences are important because they can help the city track down owners of lost pups faster. They also mean the pup gets a free ride home instead of ending up in a shelter, Burnett said.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com