Bats of Hotel Lake
Some of the best neighbours you will ever have
ALERT - March 2026
Bat-Killing Fungus Detected Near the Sunshine Coast:
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While the sight of bats flying just above Hotel Lake’s surface during the evenings may send a shiver up your spine, they are one of the most interesting and helpful of our wildlife neighbours.
Of the 16 species of bats in BC, 9 reside on the Sunshine Coast and one of these is endangered. Our Canadian bat species are helpful to humans because they eat insects exclusively. During the evening and night they can eat more than their own weight in flying insects, and many of these are mosquitoes.
Bats belong to the Chiroptera (which means hand-wing) order of mammals. They are the only mammals that can actually fly. Their wings are layers of skin stretched over elongated bones that resemble human fingers.
Bats generally have excellent eyesight but in the darkness of night they rely on echolocation; they emit voice calls and listen for echos. They are capable of instantaneously processing the echo into distance, size, type, and speed of the insect flying ahead.
The BC Wildlife Act protects bats from extermination or harm; with that said, most humans will agree that, knowing more about bats and making an effort to protect their environment, would be a mutually beneficial thing to do.
There are many ways we can all help and there is a lot of scientific information available as well as several local organizations which we will spotlight here for your use.
As you will find out for yourselves, we can all find ways to help bats thrive by understanding, in particular, their need for shelter while they sleep during the day. They use a lot of energy while flying and it is essential that bats are not disturbed when sleeping or in a state of torpor, (mini-hibernation). For those of us with some carpentry skill, the making of bat houses can be an excellent project.
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Having a bat house is helpful not just for the bats but also for scientists as you will be able to count bats leaving the house and send in that information to be added to increase our knowledge and understanding of the bat communities in our midst.
Bats should never be touched with bare hands and if a dead bat is found, this information can be called in to Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project at 604-989-1007.
SUNSHINE COAST WILDLIFE PROJECT has an excellent website at: https://www.coastwildlife.ca
Here is what they have to say about their work: “We are a small group of biologists working to conserve the Sunshine Coast’s precious natural heritage for generations to come. Since 2006, we have been working with community partners to help conserve wildlife and their habitats. Our project goals are:
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To provide scientific information to guide conservation
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To aid in the recovery of species at risk
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To restore and enhance wildlife habitat
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To increase the area of land conserved for wildlife
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To facilitate community participation in stewardship efforts
Here is an excellent link to a page on the SCWP website...all about bats: https://www.coastwildlife.ca/news
Furthermore, the following Sunshine Coast organizations support the conservation of bats and their habitat: The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, and the B.C. government.
Another excellent source of information, COMMUNITY BAT PROGRAMS OF BC, can be found at: bcbats.ca.
And for the handyman-types who are reading this and thinking that a bat house would be a great project, Here is a direct link to some great plans: https://bcbats.ca/bat-boxes/bat-box-designs/
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ALERT - March 2026
Bat-Killing Fungus Detected Near the Sunshine Coast:
ALERT - March 2026
Bat-Killing Fungus Detected Near the Sunshine Coast:
How You Can Help!
Michelle, at the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project sent us this alert:
“The Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project recently received the sad news that the fungus that causes White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has been detected in Metro Vancouver. First introduced to North America in New York State in 2006, the fungus has now spread to 40 US states and nine Canadian provinces. East of the Rocky Mountains, WNS has had devastating impacts, killing millions of bats and leading to the emergency listing of three Canadian bat species as endangered. Because bats play vital roles in local ecosystems as consumers of night-flying insects, their loss can cause significant ecological and economic harm.
The fungus that causes White-Nose Syndrome is harmless to humans but deadly to bats. It grows on the nose, ears, and wings of bats during their winter hibernation. When the bats wake up more frequently to clean the fungus, they use up their vital winter energy stores and often die of starvation. Those bats that survive often suffer severe wing damage, dehydration, and an inability to regulate body temperature, and may die early in the spring.
In the face of this deadly disease, one way to help local bats is to report any dead bats you find from now until May 31. This will help us determine if WNS is present on the Sunshine Coast and help track its spread. The Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project keeps records of all dead bats and will pick up carcasses for testing to determine if the fungus is present. Please note that because bats groom the fungus off themselves, there may be no observable white on the faces of infected bats.
Another way to help bats is to help keep populations healthy and strong so they have a higher chance of surviving once the disease hits our region. One way to do this is to protect their roost sites. As natural roosting habitat in large, old trees has become more rare, several bat species have adapted to live in human structures, like roofs, attics, eaves, siding of homes, barns, sheds or woodshops, or in man made bat boxes. Two local bat species most vulnerable to White-Nose Syndrome, Little Brown Myotis and Yuma Myotis, commonly roost in buildings. The Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project can provide resources about coexisting with bats in buildings, or guidance on best practices for safe exclusion, if desired.
Remember to never touch a bat with bare hands. If there has been known or suspected direct human contact with a bat, please seek medical attention right away by contacting Sechelt Public Health or visiting the emergency room. If your pet has had direct contact with a bat, please contact your vet.
To report a dead bat or a known bat roost, please contact Michelle and Dave at coastwildlife@gmail.com or 604-989-1007. For more information about bats, please visit bcbats.ca.
To support bat conservation, the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project works in partnership with the BC Community Bat Program, BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and BC Conservation Foundation, with generous contributions from the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Gencon Foundation, Sunshine Coast Foundation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Province of BC.
David Stiles and Michelle Evelyn
Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project
Phone: 604-989-1007
watch Bats 101
a video tutorial by BC Wildlife Federation
