Brown long-eared bat by Tom Marshall
Wild about bats
There are 18 species of bat in the UK, of which 17 are known to breed on our shores. Here in Worcestershire, we have 14 species of bat.
Did you know that not all bats hang upside down? Some do but others love to snuggle under roof tiles or in bark crevices on trees whilst others love nothing more than snuggling with friends a cavity in a tree. Sometimes, they use slightly different places in different seasons. Females hang out together but males are often solitary creatures who are comfortable with their own company.
During spring, summer and into autumn you may spot them swooping around your garden or local greenspace. These are often pipistrelles, our most common bats, but you might be lucky enough to spy Daubenton's bats swooping over water to catch their food. All bats eat insects and use echo-location to find their prey, sending out a 'ping' and judging distances by how long it takes to echo back at them.
Bat numbers are declining across the UK, which is why it's so important to leave gaps for them to roost around your property and to plant plenty of plants to support a healthy insect population. Interested in doing just that? Have a read below to discover more about the fascinating world of bats and how you can help.
Download our Wild About Gardens action for bats booklet.
This is packed with information about bats and how you can help them where you live - from what plants attract the most insects to making room for them in your house, shed, garage and more.
Find out more about how we help bats on our nature reserves...can you adapt any of our ideas to your garden or local green space?
