Birmingham Friends of the Earth Action Briefing Dec 98/Jan 99

Bats are in Town!

Of the 16 species of bats in the UK, a number can be found right in the centres of our towns and cities. One big success story is that of the Pipistrelle. This is the smallest of our bats (it can fit into a matchbox!) and squeezes into cracks to roost, often on the gable end of modern houses. These can be seen on a summer's evening flying around the town centres in their hunt for insect food. Urban parks and gardens provide plenty of the tiny insects which these bats are seeking.. The tall buildings provide shelter from the wind so insects can swarm and this makes it easier for the bats to feed. Conservation gardeners are now providing plants that give out night scents and attract insects, such as honeysuckle, stocks and jasmine, which then attract the bats.

Bat roosting boxes (like a bird box but with a slot underneath, not a hole in front) can provide safe living quarters for bats during the day and a number in a park may be very successful. On houses, bats tend to try the eaves first and may ignore the box. The booklet "Bats in Houses" describes how we can adapt our houses to suit the needs of bats.

Many of our bat species are not as successful as the Pipistrelle. One, the Mouse-eared bat, became extinct in 1992. Fortunately, all our bats and their roosts are protected by law so that they can not be disturbed or harmed.

Our office stocks leaflets to inform the public about bats and their needs. Contact the Bat Conservation Trust at 15, Cloisters House, 8, Battersea Park Road, London. SW8 4BG. Tel : 0171 627 2629.

Phil Richardson

Bat Conservation Trust.