Helping Bats

Bats often choose houses for their summer roosts, perhaps choosing lofts or crevices behind roof tiles. Some people dislike the idea of bats living in their house, but they do no harm. Bats are protected by law and it is illegal to disturb a roost unless you are a licensed bat worker.

It is very exciting to have bats living at close quarters, giving you the opportunity to watch them flitting round your garden on summer evenings, catchng flying insects. Pipistrelle bats seem to prefer modern houses, whilst older houses with larger lofts attract long-eared bats.

If you are not lucky enough to have a roost, you can attract bats into your garden by growing stongly-scented flowering plants , such as honeysuckle, sweet briar and white jasmine. These will attract insects, which in turn attract bats.

If you do not have a garden, the best places for bat-watching are ponds and lakes. An easy way to watch bats at night is to watch street lights. Bright street lights attract insects and the bats, particularly pipistrelles, get to know about this food supply.