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Bat boxes

karen paulkaren paul Posts: 230
in Wildlife gardening

Does anyone have experience with putting bat boxes up? I love to watch bats flying through my garden to catch the moths and thought it might be nice to r encourage some to roost in a box r either on the house or on a tree trunk. I am aware of the law regarding touching bats so I would only be watching but would I be able to use a cam permanently installed? I know it can take years for a bat to decide to use it and knowing my luck I'll probably just get wasps, lol, but where is best to site it? Also I am a bit worried about the poop, are they really messy and I don't know where I've heard it but isn't bat poop harmful o if breathed in, or is that just in huge quantities like in bat caves? I think the bats we have visiting are pipistrelles as they are tiny but I am just guessing as they fly so fast you cant get a good look.

Posts

  • Bushman2Bushman2 Posts: 548

    Check out this site, it should tell you all you need to know.  http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/bat_boxes.html

  • karen paulkaren paul Posts: 230

    Thankyou bushman2 :) I'll have a look at that.

  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511

    South facing and high up is the general advice for siting. The poo isn't a problem with a few roosting bats.  They feed on insects and the poo is mostly scales and very dry.  I don't know if it would be a problem or not if there was a large maternal roost.

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    large maternal roost equals lots of droppings.image

    I have doubts about south facing. Our breeding roost pips usually enter the roof and set up east or west facing. Occasionally they set up over a south facing dormer and it's disastrous. First hot day and the adults are hanging outside trying to cool off. The babies fry. 5 dead babies in the gutter below last year.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511

    Interesting Nut; we had to install bat boxes as a condition of some building works and the survey said they should be on a south facing wall. 

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Imagine being in a little box in full sun, not a lot of air circulation. Might be recommended but not what I could do having seen what happened to 'my' pips



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511

    I think the ecologist was thinking of them as being winter roosts and not nest boxes which are of course in the summer when it can be hot.

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
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