In partnership with Community Bat Programs of BC, District of West Vancouver has installed five bat boxes in the district—two at Gleneagles Golf Course, two at Ambleside Par 3, and one at Hugo Ray Park—as well as several smaller bat boxes throughout the District.
West Vancouver is home to several bat species, including the Yuma Bat, Little Brown Bat, and Big Brown Bat.
They are efficient eaters, and provide valuable ecosystem services by controlling insect populations.
They provide additional roosting habitat for female bats to raise their young from spring to fall, before hibernating for the winter. Natural colony habitat, such as hollow trees, is becoming scarcer in urban environments and bat boxes and hotels provide a safe, dry place for bats to call home.
It can take up to two years or more for a colony to establish in a new box, so it’s important to stay patient after installing a new one.
All species of bats in BC are protected by the Wildlife Act. Visit Community Bat Programs of BC to learn how to safety and legally exclude bats from your property before conducting a renovation or demolition project.
Though extremely rare, bats are the only species in BC to carry the rabies virus. Even though less than 1% of wild bats carry rabies, never touch a bat with bare hands as rabies is fatal if not treated. If you have had direct contact with a bat, contact Vancouver Coastal Health. If a pet has been in contact with a bat, contact a veterinarian.
Report a bat sighting (dead or alive) to the BC Community Bat Program by calling 1-855-922-2287 or emailing vancouver@bcbats.ca
“Natural colony habitat, such as hollow trees, is becoming scarcer in urban environments”
Facing North from Gleneagles and sitting on the edge of at least 1000km of non-“urban environment” some of which has got to be suitable for bats as these boxes are, why would anyone think it a good idea to encourage “the only species in BC to carry the rabies virus” to move in?
Bravo West Vancouver Parks Dept. for continuing to take progressive steps to help develop healthy, vibrant ecosystems in our community. Gleneagles Golf Course is managed organically and is now designated as an Audubon Society bird habitat that makes it an excellent area to put up bat boxes to help support the endangered and threatened bats in our area.