Bats

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Top l to r: brown long-eared bat, Natterer's bat; bottom l to r: noctule bat, pipistrelle bat
© All: Hugh Clark (Avico Ltd)

All British bats feed more or less exclusively on insects. Even the tiny pipistrelle may eat up to 3000 in a single night! Like many insectivorous bird species, many species of bat are declining in numbers. Although there can be no guarantee that bats will visit your garden, you can increase the chances of them doing so by a few simple measures. Growing nicotiana, evening primrose, night-scented stock, sweet rocket, soapwort, honeysuckle, jasmine and other night-scented flowers will help to attract moths and other night-flying insects. Other plants particularly favoured by insects are herbs and old-fashioned cottage garden annuals.

Sheltered corners in gardens, using a combination of walls, hedges or woodland edges at two angles will encourage concentrations of insects and offer good feeding areas for bats. Providing a pond will also help. Artificial bat boxes may be used if there are no suitable natural roosting or breeding sites. The web Bat Conservation Trust is devoted to the conservation of bats and their habitats and can offer a wealth of specialist advice.

Prey

Moths

Predators

Sparrowhawk

Bats

Brown long-eared bat, Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat, Noctule bat, Pipistrelle bat, Serotine bat, Whiskered bat