P.E.I. teen turns science project on bats into small business

A P.E.I. teen's concern for the Island's bat population has turned into a small online business building and selling bat houses, called Beddy Bye Bats. 

The idea started with a Grade 8 science project by Dominik Davis, 14, about the little brown bat.

"When we were at school, we did the science fair and I didn't get to move on to provincials because it got cancelled, because of COVID," Davis said.

"And when I brought it home, we got it out, and my mom thought it would be a great idea to start building bat houses." 

Davis said they found a pattern online and started building their bat houses, in a small barn next to the family home in Riverton, P.E.I.

His mother posted the first bat houses on social media, and Davis quickly had his first 12 orders. 

'Amazing creatures'

Davis said he has been interested in bats as long as he can remember. 

"They're just amazing creatures, like when they fly around, and they're not blind, there's a lot of misconceptions about bats," Davis said.

"They eat a lot of insects and they're really cool mammals. When they are around your area, the amount of bugs will be reduced and for us, we live in the country, so it's a big help."

Davis also gives customers an information sheet about bats with every purchase.

"You want to put the bat house up 12 to 20 feet in the air, and they're made so they have a spot on the bottom which the bats can land on," Davis said. 

"They use their claws to hook on, and then they crawl up through a half inch gap into the bat house, and they're at home."

Davis said the houses provide a safe place, away from predators such as hawks and other large birds.

"It's quite a tiny little space, bats like very tiny spaces because they like to keep warmth in, and they like to be squished together," Davis said.

"And since they're not territorial, you could have 10 different bat species in your one bat house."

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Importance of bats

Davis said he hopes what he's doing will help P.E.I.'s bat population, which has struggled for more than a decade because of white-nose syndrome. 

"The main thing I want to get people to know from this company is that bats are important," Davis said. 

"Every time I build a bat house, it's a bat sanctuary, because when you put it up bats are safe from almost all predators." 

Davis said he also hopes that his interest in bats will help change the minds of some people who don't like bats.

"I am hoping that too, because a lot of people may fear bats or may not like bats," Davis said.  

"Bats are not blind and they will stay away from you. They won't fly into your hair and they're the best thing to have around."

Bringing back the bats

Joe Rooney bought five of the bat houses for his home in Mount Mellick, P.E.I., and four of his friends have now ordered them as well.

"He's showing his entrepreneurial spirit, that he's making these bat houses, he's making himself a few dollars," Rooney said.  

"But he's also educating people about the bats and hopefully bring them back, because we had a place that we owned before, we had bats there and they ate lot of mosquitoes. I'd like to have the bats back."

Clint Davis, Dominik's father, said he was surprised at how quickly the bat houses started to sell.

"It's a great project for him to do and keep him busy and active," Davis said.

"He's always in the nature and he's planning on being a marine biologist when he grows up."

Dominik Davis has donated a couple of bat houses to the Native Council of P.E.I. for their bat project in Victoria West, as well as some fundraisers. 

Davis said Beddy Bye Bats has now sold more than 60 bat houses.

He said a couple of businesses in the area are now selling the bat houses for him which, along with online sales, will keep the teenager busy for a while.

"As long as it lasts," Davis said. "As long as there's people out there that want bat houses, I'm willing to make them."

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