Supporting European Bats
Supporting European Bats
at Nalanda Monastery
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Production of at least one third of the world’s food, including 87 of the 113 leading food crops, depends on pollination carried out by insects, bats and birds. The environmental services they provide is worth over €180 billion per year
[source: IUCN - Securing the web of life, June 2012]Production of at least one third of the world’s food, including 87 of the 113 leading food crops, depends on pollination carried out by insects, bats and birds. The environmental services they provide is worth over €180 billion per year
Why do bats need our help?
Why do bats need our help?
Bats eat flies, moths and other insects and thereby control insect populations very effectively. Some bats also serve as pollinators and seed dispersers of many plants that are important to humans.
Bat populations flourish where an ecosystem is healthy and stable, and are considered as one of the best natural indicators of the health of our environment and its biodiversity.
Thirty bat species are known in Europe today, but local extinctions have already occurred, and all but three are considered to be endangered, rare, or vulnerable.
Within the European Union, all bat species are protected under the 'Habitats and Species Directive'.
The well-being of bats is directly linked to our quality of life, our environment and its biodiversity
The well-being of bats is directly linked to our quality of life, our environment and its biodiversity
The threats bats face
The threats bats face
As stone buildings and bridges are repaired and obsolete farm buildings are renovated, bats are rapidly losing the roosting sites.
As forested areas are cleared for agriculture and development, bats are rapidly losing the roosting sites.
As wild flower, natural pasture areas and uncultivated fields are used for agricultural, bats are losing their essential hunting areas for flying insects.
Bats have a highly specialized prey-detection system using ultra-sound. This can even be specific to particular species of insects. Any drop in insect population has a dramatic effect on their population.
Common pesticides in agriculture kill insects that bats need.
The popularity of LED lights in built up areas disrupt or deter bats.
The intolerance and the lack understanding of the importance of bats, and the environmental services they provide.
How we can help
These types of designs can easily be made using 9mm marine plywood.
Estimated Project Costs:
5m2 marine plywood (9mm thick) - €450
Where bats prefer to hang out at Nalanda
South facing
South facing
While we've always had bats roosting behind the shutters, they've been occasionally discouraged because of the mess they create on a public use path under their roosts. There will also be major building work in the next couple of years on the interior and exterior of this building.
North facing
North facing
While I read that south facing walls are essential, we had to evict a large colony that roosted behind the north facing wood façade of the public building. The smell of ammonia and summer heat made it difficult to use the rooms on the upper floors of this area.
Our location for Bat Hotels
Our location for Bat Hotels
This south facing wall on our wood chip storage silo for the heating system, and it seems like a great candidate. It's not a public space at the monastery, it's got great clearance and rarely disturbed.
In addition:
It has excellent solar exposure
4m clearance under the bat hotel entrances to allow for unobstructed flight
Sheltered from commercial LED lights
Stone construction for good heat retention
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