Bats are amazing creatures but are often overlooked and misunderstood. Perhaps this is because they are nocturnal and therefore only glimpsed at dusk? Their unusual habit of roosting upside down or the way they swoop to chase insects might make some of us feel uneasy but get past that, learn a little more and you’ll find out that bats are great to have around. So much so, that we hope you will be inspired to take some of our tips and positively encourage bats to become part of your neighbourhood.

You can also help us raise crucial funds to expand roosting and feeding spaces for bats in woodlands, wetlands, and hedgerows by supporting our Big Give campaign. Any donation received during Big Give Week will be doubled at no cost to you!

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Did you know…?

• One in four of our mammal species is a bat. In fact, there are over 1,300 species of bat worldwide, yet here in the UK only 18 species are present.
• Bats eat insects and are great at keeping bugs away from crops and gardens. The Common Pipistrelle is capable of eating 3,000 insects in one night and many of those are insects that might bite you. Surely that must add to their appeal!
• Bats are one of the few species that hibernate. At this time of year, there are fewer insects for bats to feed on. They become more sluggish and their body temperature drops to spend longer periods torpid. In December, most bats drop their body temperature further still and they go into hibernation to conserve energy.
• Bats are a great barometer for biodiversity. As bats are associated with a variety of habitats, feed on insects and are sensitive to changes in the environment, they are extremely valuable in indicating the state of nature in the UK.
• Bats are threatened. Loss of habitat, such as fewer wooded areas, ponds and open grass spaces, where bats feed and roost impacts on our local bat population.

So, now we know a bit more about these wonderful, if mystic, creatures and understand some of the challenges they face, how can we do our bit to help them?

Plant and provide

Our gardens are valuable green spaces which can form part of a bat’s flight path (and indeed a green corridor for lots of other wildlife). With a little thought and careful planning you can make your outside space into a valuable habitat and enjoy the benefit of year-round colour too! To attract a diversity of insects and, in turn, bats, aim to grow as wide a range of flowers as possible, which bloom at different times of the year. Think species of daisies, Honeysuckle, Verbena, herbs and aromatic flowers, night-scented flowers such as Evening Primrose, as well as trees, shrubs and climbers – Rowan, Hebe and Common Ivy respectively would be a good start.

Add some structure

Your garden may just be a single space as far as you’re concerned but within it you can create a variety of microhabitats – each attracting different species of insects for bats to feast upon. For instance, leave a long patch of grass, or even let your whole lawn grow. Don’t get carried away dead-heading your perennials, instead leave their seedheads and hollow stems available for insects to shelter in. If you have a wall or fence, grow climbing plants against it to add another level and, likewise, by planting or keeping a hedge you will create a shelter for flying insects, both of which will be an aid to a bat’s appetite!

Dead wood is dead good!

A really simple way you can help to increase the insect population in your garden is to create a log pile or you could go up market and create a bug mansion!

Dim the lights

We’re not going all romantic on you but if you do love bats and everything that they do for us and our natural world, then please consider minimising your garden lighting. Artificial lighting can have an impact on the time bats come out to hunt or roost so, where you can, turn the lights down.

Build a pond

Creating a pond is the best thing any of us can do to create a space for wildlife in our gardens. Whether you like the idea of a large feature of water, where you might catch sight of bats swooping on their insect prey at dusk, a bog-garden, or a sunken washing-up bowl with a few aquatic plants, consider how you can introduce the presence of water to your space and click on the links to find out how to make that happen!

Keep it natural

Our ecosystem is a wonderful thing and natural predators can be a gardener’s best friend. Avoid using pesticides and let predatory beetles, centipedes, hoverflies, ladybirds, lacewings, ground beetles and of course bats deal with your garden pests.

Install a bat box

Whilst an artificial environment, bat boxes can be really useful as a refuge for bats, especially with natural habitats and roosting sites under stress. Different bat species have different needs and there are a variety of bat boxes available. Consider making your own, buying a pre-made one or integrating one when you are making home improvements or planning a building project.

There is so much more we could tell you about bats and much more detail we could go into about ways you can go batty at home. If this has whetted your appetite to find out more, then why not download our Wild About Gardens ‘Stars of the Night’ booklet that The Wildlife Trusts have produced in joint partnership with The Royal Horticultural Society here?