FAWNA urges Mid North Coast residents to avoid using sticky fly paper outdoors

Microbats are effective natural insect pest controllers, cleaning up mozzies and other insect pests at night, they catch insects on the wing and can be seen at nightfall darting around catching their prey by echolocation.

FAWNA's central flying-fox and bat co-ordinator, Meredith Ryan, urges everyone to ensure they follow instructions on all pest control items.

"Misused they all cause enormous harm to our wildlife and tiny creatures," she said.

"The microbats we've been helping will take quite some time to recover from the harmful chemicals in the sticky flypaper and the stress of treatment."

One resident who called FAWNA was devastated that her actions had harmed a creature that can eat thousands of insects every night.

Just two months after FAWNA found the first animal caught in flypaper, two more long-eared microbats were caught up in sticky flypaper used outdoors.

Residents are urged to read and follow the instructions on all pest control devices before using them.

Report wildlife incidents to the FAWNA wildlife rescue hotline on 6581 4141.

The public should not handle bats or flying-foxes, wait for a FAWNA rescuer who is vaccinated against the Australian Bat Lyssavirus.

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