Bats are important members of various ecosystems, from rainforests to deserts, and they can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Bats contribute to biodiversity and the health of their ecosystems by performing their ecological tasks with ease and precision.
Batty Facts.
Sadly, bats have a poor reputation for transmitting diseases and consuming blood. While it’s true that physical contact with bats should be avoided, they’re essential for the health of forest ecosystems, agricultural pollination, and insect control. Bats do not attack people, do not entangle themselves in people’s hair, and even vampire bats are not actual vampires (they lick blood rather than suck it). Research is ongoing with regards to the possibility of the role they may have played in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Authorities in the bat community have reason to believe that this was not the case but that the bats were used as scapegoats.
According to bat specialists, bats may hold the secret to anti-ageing genetic traits and evolutionary immune systems which is why they may get infected with viruses but not get sick.
Bats are mammals, not rodents and not birds. They are the only flying mammals and this may contribute to their amazing abilities when it comes to their immune system and energy functions. Bats are not blind. Their vision may not be as sharp as that of other night creatures such as owls, and they rely on echolocation to find food, but they can see objects.
Bat Habitats.
Plants and animals of all kinds, whether wild or domesticated, have the same basic requirements of food, water, and shelter. Bats have a wide range of habitat requirements. Depending on the species, the time of year, and what they’re doing — searching for food, raising their young, or hibernating – they utilise a variety of habitat types. Insectivorous bats require insects to eat, water to drink, spaces to sleep and rear their young (called roosts), and safe locations to hibernate to survive.
Some bats roost, hibernate, and raise their young in caves or other natural cavities such as rock outcrops, cliff walls, or even exfoliating bark on trees. Bats can even be found in buildings and agricultural structures made of traditional wood, brick, or stone. Other human-made buildings where bats can be found include tunnels, mines, cellars, air raid shelters, bridge constructions, and aqueducts.
Bats in the Ecology – An Indicator Species.
Bats are known as ‘keystone predators,’ meaning that their different actions contribute to the balance of the ecosystem. Changes in their populations can indicate changes in biodiversity resulting in them being named as an indicator species. Bats consume their body mass in insects daily (or rather nightly) which in turn is good for humans. Bats hunt insects that transmit disease to people, such as mosquitoes that spread malaria or the Zika virus in particular areas.
Some plants rely on bats to pollinate their blossoms or distribute their seeds in part or entirely, while others need bats to manage pests by eating insects. They are becoming an increasingly important biological control agent in areas where some pesticides have been banned.
While bats can be beneficial to agriculture, some agricultural techniques can have a negative influence on bats. The use of pesticides not only reduces their food supply; it can kill them as well. Removal of hedgerows and forests for agriculture results in fewer natural habitats for bats.
How Can You Help?
As their natural safe spaces to live are disappearing, bats may need help. New developments are springing up every week and these greatly impact bat conservation. Speak to Arbtech’s experts when it comes to requesting a bat survey in your area, whether you need it for development and planning purposes, or just wish to invite more of these important critters into your garden. All Arbtech’s bat surveyors hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree and have completed a comprehensive in-house training programme that exposes them to a wide range of complicated site concerns affecting a variety of species.
Bat conservation can be aided by the installation of a bat house in your garden. Firstly, make sure your house is bat-proofed by looking for any holes that could allow bats to get in. Use window screens, chimney caps, draft guards beneath attic doors, and screens on attic vents to seal any gaps, cracks, or large holes. Putting up a bat house on your property helps keep bats safe while also keeping problematic insects like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles out of your garden.
Bat house occupancy is influenced by factors such as location, climate, and design. You can either buy them or make them yourself. Just make sure they’re constructed of wood, and that they are placed away from tree lines. Also, you can help the bats by avoiding the use of pesticides in your garden. If you attract bats with the bat house you have installed, you will not be needing pesticides anyway!
Bats and the Economy.
Bats provide a variety of commercially valuable services in addition to their ecological duties. Bats, for example, are important pollinators for a variety of commercially valued crops, such as bananas, mangos, and guavas. As stated, bats also consume a large number of crop-eating insects, reducing the demand for pesticides by farmers.
As they digest the fruit, some tropical fruit bats carry the seeds far away from the original tree. These seeds fall to the ground in their own fertiliser, which aids in their germination and growth. Because bats aid in pollination and seed dispersal, they can also aid in regeneration following forest clearing.
Bats are also constantly being studied by scientists to learn more about flight, sound, sonar, and developmental and evolutionary theory. Bat guano (droppings) is also a valuable resource and fertiliser. Both indoors and out, bat guano can be used to benefit vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit and nut trees. It is a highly effective fertiliser because of its extraordinary levels of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all of which are vital minerals for plant growth.
Bats are a vital part of our ecosystems, and we need to protect the environment for the survival of their species and ours. All bat species, as well as their breeding grounds and resting areas, are legally protected. If you can’t avoid disturbing them or harming their habitats, or if you wish to survey or conserve them, you might be able to seek a license from Natural England.
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