Bats

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Andy P

Bats

Post by Andy P »

i`ve had Bats flying round in my garden in the Summer months now for years. If i go out into my garden just after the Sun goes down or if i`m up very early ( about 5 AM ) i constantly see them fluttering about. I stand there for a while and they dive right past me, sometimes within inches of my face. They`re beautiful creatures ( to my mind) and probably my favourite creature on the Planet. I was standing in my garden for about half an hour last night just after sunset just watching them diving around my Palms and Banana plants. What a joy to watch! i`ve only counted two at any one time so i presume it`s a couple foraging for their pups but i have no idea what type of Bat they are or where they roost. I`ve read that Pipistrelle are the most common in the uk so maybe that`s what they are. I`ve also read that they are good pollinators and protected by Law -so now i love them even more!
Does anyone else have bats in their garden? Have a love of bats? And also what can i do to help them ?
miketropic

Re: Bats

Post by miketropic »

I don't have them in the garden really but there all over the yard. you can watch them zip around when the security lights come on. the ones here are very small brown bats. since we have alot of caves in the state there are a few types but only that one around where I live. I believe there protected here as well. very neat creatures
Conifers
Posts: 13147
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:11 pm
Location: Northumbs

Re: Bats

Post by Conifers »

Andy P wrote: I`ve read that Pipistrelle are the most common in the uk so maybe that`s what they are.
Yep, most likely, though several other species are possible.
Andy P wrote: I`ve also read that they are good pollinators and protected by Law -so now i love them even more!
Yep, protected by law. UK bats are all insectivorous, so don't pollinate plants, but they are very valuable as mosquito control (an average bat eats about a thousand mozzies per hour!). You have to go to the tropics to find bats that feed on nectar and pollinate plants.
Andy P wrote:Does anyone else have bats in their garden? Have a love of bats? And also what can i do to help them ?
Yep! Best you can do to help them, is avoid using poisons (insecticides, herbicides, etc.) in your garden, and persuade your neighbours to do the same. Putting up bat boxes (like nestboxes for birds, but with a narrower entrance) also helps - natural tree holes suitable for them are rare in modern safety-concious towns and gardens, so they are often short of safe daytime roost sites.
Troppoz

Re: Bats

Post by Troppoz »

There are also many flowers that are pollinated by boy bats mistaking them for girl bats. The plants produce musky smelling flowers that mimic the smell of a female bat on heat, boy bats go wild and frotter the flowers pollinating them in the process. Makes you marvel at not only the wonder of nature but also the randiness of bats...

We get all sorts of bats here, from tiny insectivorous and blossom bats to massive flying foxes with their beautiful puppy dog faces. They crappe copious amounts of thick tarry acidic poop, it will stain your washing, peel the paint of your car and give you red burning welts if you get it on yourself and dont wash it off immediately. They must have bums of cast iron!
kata

Re: Bats

Post by kata »

They give me the creeps, beautiful creatures though!

My son had them in the tree.

icon_sunny icon_sunny
Jo A P

Re: Bats

Post by Jo A P »

We have bats too and I'm always glad to see them at work removing mozzies!I've occasionally found one on the ground and had to pick it up (with thick gloves on) and pop it it a safe dark place. I've heard they can't take off to fly once they've fallen to the ground. Can anyone cofirm?
GoggleboxUK

Re: Bats

Post by GoggleboxUK »

I've never seen them at the back of my house but they are always around the trees at the front.

My night vision is terrible so I can never actually make out what species they are but, from size, I assume they are Pipistrelles.

hen I was a kid there was a disused railway where we used to play and in the early evening we often used to take our socks off, roll them into a ball and throw them up in the air to watch the bats swoop at them.

Lovely creatures and fascinating abilities.
kata

Re: Bats

Post by kata »

in the early evening we often used to take our socks off, roll them into a ball and throw them up in the air to watch the bats swoop at them.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
dino

Re: Bats

Post by dino »

See one in the back garden quite often. I could watch it for hours until It gets too dark obviously :lol:
dino

Re: Bats

Post by dino »

As soon as I posted this one flew past icon_thumleft
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