Bats

Watching the bats fly over my garden at dusk never fails to bring a smile to my face. They are an indicator species, so their presence signifies that something is going right with the biodiversity in the area.

Bats help to keep insect populations under control so their presence can be helpful to us in terms of reducing numbers of mosquitoes and the animals that eat our garden plants.

The great news is that helping bats helps other species too. Here are a few things you can do to help:

• reduce or remove artificial lights, which affect both bats and species like moths – click here for more advice or head to this great RHS article
• have plants that attract insects at night e.g. honeysuckle, jasmine, evening primrose and night-scented stock and aim for white or blue varieties where possible
• have a wildlife pond
• install a bat box
• know the law and speak up if you see it being broken
• campaign for protections e.g. around lighting and the use of pesticides 
• protect woodlands and hedgerows
• keep cats indoors at night (and ideally have a collar with a bell)

Great sites for UK bats include:

• The London Bat Group
• The Bat Conservation Trust