Bats sleeping on Salmon Arm resident’s patio prompt letter to council

A Salmon Arm resident wants to set up a better lodging option for her nocturnal winged guests that have taken to sleeping on her patio.

At its Sept. 27 meeting, city council received a letter from the resident who explained that over the summer, bats had been sleeping on the patios of the building where she lives on Hudson Street NW. The writer asked if it would be possible to set up bat boxes in the nearby park, noting “we would be willing to pay for or provide the bat boxes,” which would be “much better for the bats and healthier for us.”

Peter Jannink Nature Park is located at the end of Hudson Street NW, along Shuswap Lake. East of the park is the Salmon Arm Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where both bird and bat houses are installed.

After reading the letter to council, Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she contacted retired biologist Dianne Wittner, who takes care of the bat and bird boxes for the Shuswap Naturalists Club and the Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society (SABNES).

“She felt this was a great idea,” said Lindgren. “She said bat boxes need to meet specifications but are very easy to care for once they’re put up. They need to be cleaned out sort of every two to three years if they’re not inhabited by something at that moment.”

Lindgren said she would talk to SABNES to see about getting the bat boxes set up as requested.

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