Made from untreated recycled timber for fixing to house walls or trees/poles about 3 to 5m above ground level, Micro Bat nesting boxes are now being made by members of the Margaret River Mens Shed.
Bats are important for our ecosystem. They pollinate trees, spread seeds and consume millions of insects every night. As primary predators of night-flying insects, bats play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature.
By consuming vast numbers of pests, they rank among humanity's most valuable allies.
One little microbat can catch a thousand or more mosquito-sized insects in an hour. Plus, many pests flee areas when they hear bat echo-location sounds.
Sadly, widespread habitat loss and fragmentation, due to fire, pesticides, feral animals and disturbance at caves, has decreased their numbers.
Although bat communities remain vast and diverse, many SW bats are now sadly in alarming decline largely due to misplaced human fear, persecution and the loss of natural roosts.
Our State supports a total of 37 species from seven families, two of which are endemic to Western Australia (Armstrong 2018), the most common of which is the microbat, specially the Gould's Wattled Bat.
This creature is found Australia-wide and nests in a variety of roosting sites including tree hollows.
Endemic to southwest WA, the Whitestriped Freetail Bat is one of the few bats whose echo-location calls are audible to the human ear.
Installing a bat box means you can benefit directly from having fewer pests around your property.
Correctly installed, your odds of success exceed 80 percent.
When installing a bat box, be aware that bats require a clear flight path to their nest box, without overhanging branches above or on either side.
You should consider both the degree of sun exposure and heat absorption (based on your house colour).
Too little sun exposure is the most important known cause of bat house failure, even in relatively hot climates as far north as Broome.
Chambers allow bats to move vertically to find their preferred temperatures through daily and seasonal cycles.
This provides a wider margin for error in selecting appropriate sun exposure and colour.
Bats in nursery colonies prefer warm bat houses, where the temperature is between 26°C and 36°C. This means roosts require natural solar heating in all but the hottest climates.
Made to order, Bat Boxes are priced at $40 each.
For more information and to purchase, contact Rob Lane: roblane@netserv.net.au
