Be alert but not alarmed - tiny little bats heading our way
THE region's microbats are on a feeding frenzy and home owners have been warned they could be facing an invasion.
The tiny bats range in size from 5-10cm long and can weigh as little as 3gm - the size of a teaspoon of sugar.
The feeding frenzy comes as the bats try to fatten up ahead of winter by feasting on insects that thrive in the family home.
Roofs and ceilings provide the perfect place for them to hibernate, prompting the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife to issue a warning to residents.
Foundation CEO Susanna Bradshaw said the Coast was a hotspot for microbats to breed.
"Sunshine Coast microbats are fully protected which might raise the issue of offences and penalties if any are, in fact, harmed," she said.
"Right now, bats are eating as much as 40% of their own body weight in a single night or several hundred insects per hour."
Most microbat species find refuge in tree hollows, but many find their way into homes through small holes, windows and doors.
Sunshine Coast Bat Rescue volunteer Gillian Brownhill said microbats were too small to pose any real threat.
"The best way to get them out is to turn all the lights off in the home and switch on an outside light," she said.
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