Bat Boxes

Does anyone have these in their garden? I want to put some up but I'm not sure which species of Bat we have. We have seen the odd one flitting about in summer but they move so fast we don't get a close look at them. I looked online and read North Wales had 15 out of the 18 uk Bat species. There are also several designs of Bat boxes so I'm not sure which would be best or if that even matters from the Bats perspective?

 

Here is a link to a bat conservation site which contains a mass of information including plans for the “Kent bat box”, which I have been told is considered one of the most successful designs.

Recently we have been involved with building work renovating old buildings. We put up 11 boxes of various designs, some of which are being used. The siting location is important. They need to be placed high and south facing is best for hibernating and roosting, we were told. Hope you find this link provides you with some answers.
Bat Boxes - Bat Conservation Trust

 

Thanks for the link Redwing

 

We have bats but no box's, they are all under our tiles of the house, one summer evening we counted 48 coming from under the tiles

 

Just a little 1st hand experience of bats. While we were having some ghastly wooden cladding removed from the front of our house (south facing so @Redwing spot on!), the builders came across about 15 Pipistrelle Bats we honestly didn't know were there. We knew there were bats around as in the summer during the evening we can see quite a few whizzing about but didn't know where they were living.
I was quite upset at having potentially endangered them and the workmen was somewhat woosie about handling them! I fled into the house grabbed the computer and did rapid research on what to do if you find bats. I can't remember exactly what the information was but it was on the lines of putting them in a shoe box and releasing them at night I think and something about they couldn't fly off the ground? Anyway I need not have bothered as while I was returning outside with a suitable box the whole camp of bats (no I did not know a group of bats was called a camp until I looked it up a minute ago) flew off and circled round the house for a couple of minutes then disappeared into the stables. Guess what the stable have ghastly cladding too and so they have just moved "house" by about 20ft. I had sort of contemplated getting the stable cladding removed, maybe I'll just let the bats have a suitable home!
This happened about 4 years ago and since then the bats are happily living in their new abode with little or no difference to their numbers. I think it was fortunate that they had an alternative place to go close by I don't know how they would have fared had there not been.

 

Interesting account @silu . I don't know what the rules in Scotland are but if that had happened in England, Natural England should have been informed. Bats are very protected and regulations must be adhered to. With so many, do you have a breeding colony?

 

I have a fair idea that up here the rules re bats are similar or the same @Redwing . I have a friend who lives in The Borders and she has bat boxes in the attic of the original farmhouse (they built a new house) which is pretty derelict. If the property was ever to be renovated they would need to seek advice from our equivalent to Natural England, altho not sure exactly what that is!
I have no idea if our bats are breeding or not but certainly their numbers are pretty stable since we have lived here. Luckily or neighbours have old outbuildings and are wildlife savvy. I expect there will be bats there too.
I am not too keen to involve the powers that be. We are doing nothing apart from the cladding episode! to bother or disturb the bats and happy for them to be here. We have no plans to do anything here likely to upset them.
Luckily for the bats in these parts there is only 1 flaming wind turbine. I have mentioned on many occasions on GC I am 100% against the damn things which have sprung up in their 1000s in Scotland. There is very very good evidence that wind turbines are deadly to bats. The difference in wind pressure caused by the turbines burst the bat's lungs evidently.
I find it somewhat ironic that these turbines are meant to be saving our planet but at the same time are causing huge amounts of destruction to hitherto wild places and killing our wild birds etc. However, what's that old saying?.......money (= wind turbines) makes the world go round!
Wind farms could be killing 80,000 bats a year, new study finds
www.telegraph.co.uk › Science

 

Small birds love these boxes @shiney

 

@silu I think the authorities have been very cavalier about the sighting of some wind turbine locations. For example there is one currently being built in the Channel, called Rampian,which is on not one but two bird migration routes, north/south for passerines and up and down the Channel for seabirds. I am pretty well informed about this one and know that RSPB southeast and the Sussex Ornithological Society both objected. Proper studies were NOT done. I am not against wind turbines in the right location. They do cut dependence on fossil fuels but in the rush to be “green” not enough attention has been paid to the sighting of such wind farms. I wish it were not so. Another one in Yorkshire has created a lot of bitterness.

I was not aware of the impact upon bats.

 

We got one near us and i like it Miss Jiffy and i went and had a look and when we were there the Sea culls were flying through the blades they were having lots of fun, the blades were turn quite fast and the birds just keaped flying around and though the blades and we have visted it 4 times now and no dead birds at the base of wind turbine

 

Neither was I. There are wind farms on Anglesey and proposals for more :sad:. Also, largest solar farm in Wales, a water turbine/ barrage, the new nuclear power station with associated new power pylons and road systems, a bio mass plant, a third Menai bridge and the cutting down of what little forested areas there are to build luxury holiday lodges :wallbanging: :wallbanging: :sad: :sad:. The new name for the Isle of Anglesey is now Energy Island - according to local papers and councils web site. I am giving serious thought to moving somewhere else. Southern Island sounds good or maybe Scotland - not sure we'd like the weather though.

Anyway, had an email from Gwynedd Bat Conservation. They say to face boxes West or East and to try different box designs - apparently the Bats are particular about their des res's :snorky:.

 

I read that linseed oil was applied before the bridge was painted in 2005, not heard of wine being used.