Urban Bats

[Uv moth notingha]

Hi guys , does anybody have much experience in the bat feild , as I am really keen to help bats in my area , the buildings are all victorian red brick ( big lofts and no soffits ,) , and most of the bats are pips , but a few much larger ones can be seen cruising over head sometimes .
Mainly has anybody had any succsess with bat boxes as I have put up a few and have some ready to give to others on my street ??
Also what is the best way to find out where bats are roosting , do you need a few people to stand in various positions along a street and find out where the bats are coming from .....I am sure there are plenty of nooks and crannys in the buildings here abouts .
I aim to get hold of a bat detector to find out what species they are and I suppose If I walk around the neighbourhood at dawn and dusk with a detector I may find some hot spots that could potientialy be roosts .

Any advice on habitat inrichment for bats , surveying methods etc is welcome ...
UVMOTH

[Kayleigh]

All I can suggest is get in touch with your local bat group and they will be able to help you..
I am going on a bat walk at the weekend its the European bat night at the local reservoir.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Uv moth notingha

Mainly has anybody had any succsess with bat boxes as I have put up a few and have some ready to give to others on my street ??

Yes, bat boxes do work however in my experience they are not as good naturally occuring roost sites and have less occupancy. Bat boxes are usually used as transitional, night or breeding roosts rather than for maternity or long staying roosts. Its worth putting them up as I am sure something will use them. I prefer boxes with tight closely fitted gaps, like kent bat boxes. These seem to get a better occupancy than ones with a larger cavity within them.

The bat box wants to be a good 15 feet above the ground (15-20) especially where it may be easy for people to get to it. The entrance and area below the box need to be clear. Its also best to place the bat box on a south east facing wall, failing that a south facing wall.

Originally Posted by Uv moth notingha

Also what is the best way to find out where bats are roosting , do you need a few people to stand in various positions along a street and find out where the bats are coming from .....I am sure there are plenty of nooks and crannys in the buildings here abouts .

Basically yes, you need to find out what time sunset is stand facing the building and start 30mins before dusk and stay until 2 hours after. You need to watch for bats emerging, although it would be a lot easier with a bat detector, it takes a certain level of skill to pick up the bats as they leave the building especially as the light drops. You will need to coverall angles of the building. You could also look in the loft for droppings, feeding remains scratch and grease marks (if you do find a roost you need to leave immediately though (unless you have a roost license. Dusk is better than dawn and easier to see bat activity, you need to get up two hours before sunrise, bats often swarm around the roost site prior to entering the building which makes roost easy to find compared to dusk when they drop straight out.

Originally Posted by Uv moth notingha

I aim to get hold of a bat detector to find out what species they are and I suppose If I walk around the neighbourhood at dawn and dusk with a detector I may find some hot spots that could potientialy be roosts .

A bat detector is essential for this kind of activity.

Originally Posted by Uv moth notingha

Any advice on habitat inrichment for bats , surveying methods etc is welcome ...

Plant trees, dig ponds, leave areas of rough vegetation. Basically attract as many small insects (midges, greenfly etc) as you can. Put up bat boxes. I would need to know a bit more about the area and what you can do first.

[Uv moth notingha]

Thanks very much for the sound advice .
I have already put up 3 wedge shaped boxes (BCT design ) mounted on a post , in a lilac tree (about 4.5 meters up ) on a hedge line where the local bats fly past and hunt on regular occasions . Also I have built a couple of kent boxes which are not yet up , one of which is poorly constructed and will be promptly destroyed !
All the bats appear suddenly and start hunting activity as soon as they are on the scene , my hunch is that the roost must be pretty close by ....
I still am sceptical that my boxes will be used , despite bats often flying within a few feet of them , and from what the internet tells me ( I am no bat expert , just interested ) boxes seem to work best in proper woods and parkland , still I live in hope !
Thanks again ,
Seth

[Uv moth notingha]

oh , I am about 400 yards from an open feild and some scrubby woodland , the gardens are small to medium sized and while most are "sterile " : lawn +bush +flower pot , some still have old fruit trees and at least one or two , myself included have wildlife gardens , with more trees and native plants plus ponds .
I am on the nottinghamshire derbyshire border near a railway with plenty of old buildings and possible hibernation sites , tunnels etc ..
Just thought that this might help with any advice .
Seth