Bats

We have received a few calls recently from people who are finding young bats in their gardens so we thought we would tell you a bit about bats in the UK and Cumbria and what to do if you stumble across one.

There are 17 different species of bat found in the UK with 9 of these being found in Cumbria. Bats hibernate in roosts throughout the winter and then breed throughout the summer. Bats are an important pest controller and can eat up to 3,000 midges in one night. In other parts of the world, they are important pollinators – without them there would be a lot less chocolate! Unfortunately, bats are in trouble with 25% of the world’s species at risk of extinction and 12 identified species already extinct. This is due to a number of man-made reasons from changes and loss of areas to roost and forage, loss of insects to feed on and the impact from artificial lighting on feeding and roost site. Cats are also responsible for a lot of bat casualties. Due to the risk to bats all species and their roosts are protected by law in the UK and Europe.
The main cause of bats being found at this time of year is the young who are learning to fly for the first time, but this is not always the case.

If you do come across an injured or grounded bat then make sure it is safe from immediate danger, the best thing to do is to pick it up with a towel or glove and place it in a cardboard box. The towel or glove will protect the bat when you pick it up and provide something to cling to in the box. Also, add a milk bottle top of water and poke holes in the lid of the box for ventilation and place the box in a cool, quiet place. Then phone the NATIONAL BAT EMERGENCY HELPLINE. They will give you further advice and contact a local qualified bat handler to visit you. The bat handler will check the bat for injuries and give you further advice or they might take the bat away for rehabilitation.

More information on finding a bat; https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/help-with-injured-grounded-bat

For more advice and information about bats in Cumbria visit https://www.cumberlandbatgroup.org.uk/ or https://cumbriabats.wordpress.com/

Image below shows a common pipistrelles