Do Rats Kill Bats?
WouterMany people are concerned about the potential danger of rats in their home. Rats can easily get into buildings and homes through small cracks and openings, and will quickly make holes in floors and walls as soon as they arrive. These holes will typically be circular, two to three inches wide, and located several inches above the ground. Rats leave behind a distinct musk-like odor.
These rodents aren’t native to New Zealand, but they were introduced centuries ago. The Polynesian rat first came to New Zealand with Maori canoes, followed by the black and Norway rats that arrived with European ships. Later, British colonists intentionally introduced a whole menagerie of animals. They also introduced songbirds and red deer, and introduced a brushtail possum from Australia.
Rats are omnivorous and can eat almost any type of food. Because they’re not very big, they can adapt their diet to suit the types of food available. Rats can also eat eggs and juvenile animals. They are highly intelligent and have a long lifespan. Thus, it’s inhumane to kill them.
Rats don’t typically kill bats. Although they can kill them, rat attacks don’t typically cause rabies. The rabies virus affects only a small percentage of bats. However, the rabies risk is lower for bats than for rats and mice. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports that, in the last 25 years, it has recorded seventy-two cases of bat rabies. Despite these small numbers, human infections of bats are rare, with only a few reported cases in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Greenwich, Connecticut.
