Click here to visit the
NEW Porotherm web site
Locations/ Applications
The Wienerberger Bat Box can be incorporated into any side of a building (North, South, East or West) Each facing can provide different roosting needs and requirements for bats throughout the year.
Roosting Requirements
When not feeding, bats require an area to roost and rest. They will generally use three main types of roost throughout the year, a summer roost, temporary roosts and hibernation roosts.
Summer Roost
During the summer months female bats will roost together forming maternity colonies. These roosts are found in trees, buildings, under bridges or in caves as they are undisturbed, draft free and the air within the roost is of a constant warm temperature, so aiding the development of the baby bats.
Winter Roost
During the winter months, when insect populations decline due to falling temperatures, bats hibernate in winter roosts. The winter roosting sites need to be undisturbed, dark places which have a constant cooler temperature. These may be found underground in caves, mines and cellars, roofs, tunnels or trees. Because these particular roost sites are not common, thousands of bats of various species will migrate to occupy one over the winter months.
Temporary Roost
Temporary roosts are used when bats travel from their permanent summer roost to known feeding sites, such as woodland a pond or river. They will feed for a few hours and then rest up in one of these temporary roosts then travel onto either another feeding site or head back to their more permanent roost.
Population trends
Recent findings from the Bat Conservation Trust's ongoing National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) suggest that populations of greater and lesser horseshoe bats, Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat and the common pipistrelle have risen since regular monitoring began in 1997. However, the general consensus, both in Britain and continental Europe is that most other bat species are still declining and vulnerable.
Factors thought to have contributed to this decline include:
• Reduction in insect prey abundance, due to high intensity farming practice and inappropriate riparian management
• Loss of insect-rich feeding habitats and flyways, due to loss of wetlands, hedgerows and other suitable prey habitats
• Loss of winter roosting sites in buildings and old trees
• Disturbance and destruction of roosts due to development and the use of toxic timber treatment chemicals.
Because of past declines, some species including pipistrelle have been designated as priority species by the government and have individual Species Action Plans; these contain objectives relating to the maintenance and restoration of populations to former levels. This is where the Bat Box comes into its own by creating new or enhancing an existing habitat for bats to roost, breed and hibernate.