Living with impacts of flying-foxes
Grey-headed Flying-foxes are social animals. They gather in camps during the day that can hold thousands of individuals. Nearby residents may notice the sounds and smells of a flying-fox camp, particularly when flying-fox numbers are high.
Every night, flying-foxes leave their camps to find food. Towns and cities provide an abundant supply of flowers and fruits for flying-foxes. This includes backyard and roadside trees, such as flowering gums, lilly pilly, figs and other fruit trees. When flying-foxes find a good food source, they will often return night after night.
Many people enjoy the spectacle of flying-foxes in their backyards, while their trees are providing food. There may be little sign that you have hosted these overnight visitors. But sometimes flying-fox feeding can create noise and mess on your property.
If flying-foxes feeding in your street or backyard is causing you concern, it’s important to remember that they usually only visit when food is available. So once trees stop flowering or fruiting, the flying-foxes will move on to other areas. Below are some tips for managing impacts of flying-foxes around your home.
For a summary of tips for living with flying-foxes, see the Living with Flying-foxes flyer. (PDF, 6.7 MB)
If you live near a flying-fox camp, you may hear flying-foxes during the day. You might also hear flying-foxes at night if they are feeding in a tree in your street or backyard. To manage noise, you can:
- keep windows closed during periods of heightened noise, for example in the early evening or early morning
- use earplugs or white noise at night if flying-foxes are feeding near your house. This would only be needed for a short time while food is available close by
- restrict access to fruit trees or branches using wildlife-friendly netting
- consider more long-term measures such as double-glazing windows or sound-proofing susceptible areas, if noise issues are ongoing.
Did you know that the distinctive smell around flying-fox camps is mostly due to the animals themselves, rather than droppings or mess? Flying-foxes use scent to share information with each other. Scents produced by flying-fox pups help their mothers find them when returning to camp in the morning. Smells at a flying-fox camp may be stronger during the mating season in late summer and autumn. Male flying-foxes use scent from glands on their shoulders to attract mates and mark territories.
To reduce smell, you can:
- keep windows closed when smells are strongest and consider sealing gaps if smell issues persist
- use ceiling fans or air-conditioning to increase air flow
- adjust your home’s scent using air fresheners.
Flying-foxes can create mess in areas where they are feeding. Mess can include droppings as well as partially eaten fruit or flowers. Flying-foxes also pass droppings in flight, so areas under well-used flight paths may also be impacted. To reduce impacts of mess, you can:
- park cars undercover and away from feeding trees
- bring washing in before dusk, when flying-foxes fly out and begin to feed
- regularly clean droppings to avoid staining.
As with all animal droppings, avoid direct handling. Wear disposable gloves and a mask when cleaning up flying-fox droppings, and wash hands afterwards using soap and warm water. Dispose of used gloves and masks in a sealed bag.
If cleaning accumulated dry bat droppings, consider additional protection (N95 respirator mask, gloves, protective clothing for example coveralls, safety eyewear and boot covers) or a professional cleaning service, to avoid dust inhalation.
Did you know?
Flying-foxes feed on more than 100 species of flowering and fruiting native plants, as well as a range of introduced species.
They pollinate these plants and disperse seeds while they feed, performing an important role in local ecosystems.
Flying-foxes and fruit trees
Backyard fruit trees provide reliable food for Grey-headed Flying-foxes in Victoria. You may not realise flying-foxes have been visiting, apart from dropped blossoms or fruit on the ground. Flying-foxes don’t usually cause serious damage to trees that they feed in.
Inappropriate fruit netting is one of the leading causes of flying-fox injury and death in Victoria. Wildlife-friendly netting can protect your fruit from flying-foxes while reducing the risk of entanglement. Netting can be used on the whole tree, single branches or just bunches of fruit. Under Victorian regulations introduced in 2021, it is illegal to net household fruit trees with netting that has a mesh size greater than 5 mm x 5 mm at full stretch.
To make sure your fruit netting is wildlife-friendly:
- use netting with a mesh size less than 5 mm x 5 mm at full stretch, that you can’t poke a finger through
- fix netting tightly to the trunk of the tree, or a frame, so animals can’t get underneath or tangled on the ground
- preferably use white netting, which is easier for animals to see
- check netting daily to make sure it’s still tight and no animals are entangled.
- remove netting once fruit is harvested.
You can also net or bag individual fruits or branches. Risks to wildlife are reduced and animals can eat the remaining fruit. Fruit sacks, smaller wildlife-friendly nets or brown paper bags can be used to protect smaller branches.
If you do find a flying-fox trapped in fruit tree netting, do not attempt to touch or handle it yourself. Call an experienced, vaccinated wildlife rescuer to assist. Call 136 186 or use the Help for injured wildlife tool to find a rescuer near you.
More information on protecting fruit trees and requirements for netting household fruit trees can be found on DEECA’s Wildlife and fruit trees page or on Agriculture Victoria’s Harvest without harm page.
Flying-foxes are protected wildlife
All Victorian native wildlife is protected under the Wildlife Act 1975.
It is an offence to harm, take or wilfully disturb protected wildlife without authorisation under the Wildlife Act. The Conservation Regulator website provides more information about wildlife management and control authorisations.
Harassing or causing injury to flying-foxes carries a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units (over $3,500).
Under the Wildlife Act, causing the death of a flying-fox can result in a fine of up to 240 penalty units (over $45,000) and/or 24 months imprisonment or both the fine and imprisonment and an additional penalty of 20 penalty units (over $3,500) for every animal impacted.
Further penalties under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 may also apply. The penalties for offences are serious. Penalties include fines of over $40,000 or jail for up to 12 months for animal cruelty (for individuals), and fines of over $80,000 or imprisonment for up to two years for aggravated cruelty. Aggravated cruelty is cruelty that causes the death or serious disablement of an animal.
Sick, injured or dead flying-foxes
If you find a flying-fox on the ground, it is likely sick or injured. You may also find injured flying-foxes caught in fruit netting or barbed wire. The following information can assist you to get help for sick or injured flying-foxes, while also looking after your safety.
Never attempt to touch or catch flying-foxes yourself
Never attempt to touch or handle a flying-fox. Flying-foxes can be natural hosts to diseases that may be transmitted to humans. Only experienced and vaccinated people wearing appropriate personal protective equipment should handle flying-foxes. Visit Flying-foxes and your health for more information.
Call a local wildlife rescuer to assist
Call an experienced, vaccinated wildlife rescuer, foster carer or shelter operator, who can transport the animal to a vet or shelter for assessment and rehabilitation. To find a local wildlife rescuer, call 136 186 or use the Help for injured wildlife tool.
Give injured flying-foxes plenty of space
Give sick or injured flying-foxes plenty of space until a rescuer arrives. They are likely stressed and further disturbance may worsen their condition. Keep pets away from flying-foxes that are entangled or on the ground.
Injured flying-foxes and powerlines
Flying-foxes can be electrocuted on powerlines if their wings make contact with live wires or infrastructure, or if they fly too close to the lines. In most cases, adult flying-foxes die if they’re electrocuted. Young flying-foxes and carried pups often survive electrocution. Pups may still be with their mother or on the ground and you might hear them calling out.
If you find an electrocuted flying-fox, the most important thing to remember is your safety:
- Never try to rescue or touch an animal caught in powerlines.
- If you see an electrocuted flying-fox on powerlines, do not touch the animal. Call a wildlife rescuer to assess if the animal is dead or has a pup. Binoculars can help to spot a pup, which may be clinging to its mother’s chest. If a rescue is possible, the electricity distributor will also be needed onsite to assist.
- Never attempt to touch a live flying-fox on the ground. Call a trained and vaccinated wildlife rescuer to assist.
- Don’t assume a lifeless flying-fox is dead.
- Check a lifeless flying-fox on the ground is dead and doesn’t have a pup, by gently turning it over with a shovel. Wear gloves and avoid direct contact.
- If you are bitten or scratched, or exposed to bat saliva, wash the wound thoroughly, apply an antiseptic and get medical help immediately.
- Don’t directly handle dead flying-foxes. See below for more information.
For further information, see the factsheet:
Dead flying-foxes
Care is still required if you find a dead flying-fox. Flying-foxes can be natural hosts to diseases that may be transmitted to humans. Visit Flying-foxes and your health for more information.
If you find a lifeless flying-fox, do not touch it. Instead you can check if the animal is dead by gently turning it over with a shovel and gloves, avoiding direct contact. At some times of year, a dead flying-fox may be carrying a pup. If you see a pup, don’t touch it and call a wildlife rescuer to assist.
If you are unsure if the animal is dead, contact a local wildlife rescuer for assistance. To find a local wildlife rescuer, call 136 186 or use the Help for injured wildlife tool.
If the animal is dead, use a shovel and gloves to place the animal in a thick plastic bag, avoiding direct contact. Double bag the carcass and seal for disposal in accordance with your local government by-laws. Dispose of used gloves and wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap.
If the animal displayed symptoms of illness prior to dying, report to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
If you notice the flying-fox has a band on its thumb, or a collar, don’t try to read or remove it without assistance of a wildlife rescuer. Please report to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme.
Call your local electricity distributor to remove dead flying-foxes from powerlines.
Councils can assist to remove dead flying-foxes from nature strips or other council-managed land.
VicRoads is responsible for removal of dead animals on major arterial roads.
How can I care for flying-foxes in my home and garden?
Admire flying-foxes from a distance and avoid disturbing them.
If you have flying-foxes feeding on trees in your backyard, try to keep pets indoors while they’re visiting. Flying-foxes can be attacked and killed by domestic dogs while foraging in your backyard. Dogs can also be injured and need veterinary care.
Consider leaving fruit trees unnetted, or only net or bag individual branches or fruit. Always use wildlife-friendly netting to avoid the risk of flying-fox entanglements.
Flying-foxes are also at risk of entanglement in barbed wire. Consider removing the top strand of barbed wire, or improving visibility of top wires to prevent entanglement. Simple ways to do this include using sighting wire, or placing tags, reflective tape or polypipe lengths at frequent intervals along the top strand.
Flying-foxes, like other wildlife, can sometimes get stuck in backyard pools. Place a rope, branch or other object in the pool to help animals to climb out.
Page last updated: 04/10/24