breeding season
How you can contribute to species conservation with a bat box
Unfortunately, bats are now one of the most endangered native mammals
© Axel Bueckert / Getty Images
There are 25 species of bats living in Germany alone, all of which are on the list of endangered species. Due to the progressive clearing of their natural habitats and the increasing death of insects, the flying mammals are being deprived of any basis of life. To combat extinction, you can support bats.
The list of factors that make life difficult for bats – in the truest sense of the word – has become longer and longer in recent years: the focus is not only on climate change, which means that young animals in particular die in the hotter summer months before they can reach them leave nest. Wind turbines also pose an increasing threat to nocturnal animals. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they also lack food sources such as insects (especially moths) due to the widespread use of pesticides. Unfortunately, we have little to no influence on most points. However, you can still support bats by providing them with new shelter options. You can find out how this works as follows.
Attaching a bat box to the house: This is how it works
The breeding season of many bat species begins between March and April, making spring the ideal time to install a nesting box. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on a tree or on a house wall – but it’s important that you consider the following points before installation:
- Bats avoid daylight, so the box should not be exposed to direct sunlight – otherwise the habitat will heat up too much in summer. But also avoid (lantern) light and noise around the camp at night.
- Hang one Bat box high in the lee (preferably four to five meters above the ground) so that the mammals have a clear flight path. This also ensures that no predators such as cats or martens get to the nesting site.
- Since several boxes can be hung at the same time: Use different corners of the building and directions (preferably southeast to northwest). This allows bats to switch back and forth between shelter options depending on the outside temperature.
- The animals’ excrement falls down through the integrated, open droppings slope in the bat box – accordingly, you should not install nesting boxes above your windows, balcony or terrace, a house entrance or a seating area.
Important: When assembling, ensure that the bat box has been attached securely and firmly. If the nesting site falls down, you endanger people and animals alike.
Another tip: flat bat boxes opened downwards usually do not need to be cleaned. If you still want to try it, choose the time so that the animals are neither busy raising their offspring nor hibernating. Be sure to follow the applicable interference bans, which are in the Section 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG).
How to support bats in the garden
As already mentioned, bats are threatened with extinction – caused by an increasing lack of food and habitats. To support species protection, you can take further measures (in addition to installing suitable nesting boxes): Since the animals rest during the day, nocturnal insects are primarily on their menu. To attract this to your home garden, you can plant plants that bloom at night, such as Catchfly and Evening primrose. But fish herbs such as mint, sage and lemon balm are also real insect magnets. When it comes to purchasing insect-friendly trees, these are: Buddleia or Hawthorn useful for providing more food sources for insects and therefore bats.
Build your own bat box: instructions
Since bats don’t have high demands on their place of refuge, you can do it yourself: All you need to build a summer or winter quarters are the following utensils: a few wooden boards that are at least two centimeters thick and eco-certified, as well Wood screws, a jigsaw and a cordless screwdriver, a drill and a wood file, a brush and linseed oil, a ruler or tape measure and a pencil. The Nature Conservation Association of Germany (NABU for short) explains step by step in this understandable video how this turns into a stable bat box including a flight path for easier vertical landing:
A notice: You can find the corresponding building instructions here download.
Sources: NABU, Bat protection, German Wildlife Foundation
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