About the Peachland Bats
Peachland bats, previously considered a nuisance, have now become a local phenomena. It has been known that the nocturnal mammals inhabited the 103 year old Peachland Primary School for decades, however, their numbers have only recently been revealed. Peachland Primary was closed in 2002 and recent refurbishing of the historic building revealed a massive roost.
Wildlife biologist, Aaron Reid from Ministry of Environment, estimates the colony to be upwards of 2000 Yuma bats. Reid identified Peachland’s roost as a maternity colony, which means it is comprised mostly of breeding females, underproductive females, which are yearlings, and juveniles. Reid says
“Typically, males will roost in smaller bachelor roosts separate from the females but this roost (in the attic) is so big there could be male groups roosting there as well. This could possibly be the largest Yuma bat colony in British Columbia”.
Bats in the attic of Peachland Primary School have created a unique educational experience. Bats are a protected species and are now considered valuable mammals in the eco system. They can eat up to three quarters of their body weight in insects each night and mosquitoes are their choice of diet in Peachland, thus explaining why Peachland is virtually mosquito free.
Along with the massive colony an accumulation of more than 40 years of bat guano was also uncovered. Guano is becoming an increasingly popular home and commercial fertilizer due to its high content of nitrates. A mosquito diet creates an extremely high nitrate composition and is one of the more sought after fertilizers. Please stop by the
Chamber of Commerce office to purchase your “Peachland Guano”. When the Peachland Primary School is refurbished it will become the new home of the
Peachland Visitor Centre, Peachland Chamber of Commerce, Peachland Boys & Girls Club, and of course, our Peachland Yumas.
The colony lives in the roost from April to October. Mid October the bats begin departing the schoolhouse and fly across Lake Okanagan to hibernate in the rocks of Okanagan Park. Their fragile bodies cannot tolerate extreme changes in temperature so they will hibernate in caves or rock outcroppings where their body temperatures can remain more constant through the winter.
A visit to the
Peachland Visitor Centre will show how humans and bats can successfully co-habitat. Learn how myths of health risks and other public fears have been put to rest by wildlife biologists. View the daily lifestyle of these nocturnal mammals via video cameras installed in the Primary School roost. Learn of hibernation patterns, diet and other bat species with a stop at the local VC or you may want to take a blanket and sit outside the Primary School on a starry night to view these little mammals take flight for their nightly foraging.