Contamination

Includes: Dust/powder, gooey stuff, oil, fly paper, polyurethane foam, ‘bird-free’ gels, hot tar/bitumen on flat roofs

Cause/Info

  • If necessary advise that the contaminant is covered to prevent further casualties – for example open containers of flour, industrial powders and adhesives, drip trays of engine oil, cockroach traps and fly papers.

Treatment Options

  • Rehydrate, if possible, as a first aid measure, the bat may have been trapped for days. If there is obvious damage to bones or severe emaciation consider whether euthanasia is appropriate before treatment.
  • Dust or powder can be brushed off using a fine paintbrush. Greasy powders like soot also need washing off with soap or mild detergent.
  • Water-soluble contaminants (including modern fly papers) should be washed off with water; stubborn substances can be washed off with mild soap or detergent solutions, which must then be washed off with clean water. Apply only to affected areas using a fine paintbrush or make up sponge. Rinse with an atomiser spray. Do not rub, and put bat onto absorbent material in a container with a heat mat or in a warm place to dry.
  • Oil-based contaminants can be removed with butter, vegetable oil or margarine, then mild soap or detergent to remove grease, and
    clean water to remove the detergent/soap. A small atomiser with soapy water and a second with clean water can be used to ‘shower’ the bat. If bathing, have two bowls ready before starting and avoid getting too much water on top of the wings to prevent damage to the delicate bones. Dry as above.
  • Fly paper – cut away as much of the paper as possible to avoid further sticking and stress. If there is a risk of cutting the bat then de-tack the sticky areas by applying paper or tissue. Water, margarine, butter, olive oil, or milk can then be used to remove the stickiness (test a small area first) – wash grease off as above.
  • Polyurethane foam is likely to be dry by the time the bat is found. It can be removed carefully using fine tweezers, scalpel and fine scissors.

Considerations

  • Successful treatment requires patience, time and experience of handling bats. Serious cases should only be attempted in conjunction with an experienced bat carer, however release after treatment is possible.
  • Consider contacting the manufacturer’s helpline to discover what is in the product and the best way to remove it, particularly with new products. Increasingly fly papers are based on water based adhesives – test small area with water first.
  • Solvents that are conventionally used for removing sticky and oily substances may be toxic to bats, and may cause severe heat loss through
    evaporation.
  • Veterinary sprays for removing sticky materials are not advised because of heat loss by evaporation over a large surface area.
  • Warm, not hot water should be used where necessary.
  • There may be hair loss. Bats moult in the summer and hair will probably not be replaced until the next moult.
  • There may be holes or tears in the wing and tail membranes as a result of the bat pulling away from sticky surfaces (see above).
  • Material ingested by grooming may have effects.