Feeding Bats

[Eve]

Following on from my previous question, there are some little bats which I often see come flying over the garden and back, always seem to be on a little loop and I wonder if they are attracted to the light or something when I'm at the back door having a cigarette.

I've put some bits up to feed the birds but wondered if the same could be done for the bats. Obviously it would be dark so not something I'd be able to watch but, having been in the bat section in, I think, Chester Zoo, apart from the awful smell, it looked like they had fruit out for them though they had all kinds of bats in there.

If anyone has any idea, that'd be great. I don't want to put something out if it's advised not to feed them.

[tonyav]

I thought that bats ate insects, Eve.

[mazie]

I think there are more than enough insects about for the bats at the moment... To my knowledge there are no Fruit bats in the UK

[Wharton]

They eat midges and should be awarded the VisitScotland gold medal :-)

[mier]

We watched one doing a figure of eight about 6 foot above the lawn, 2 nights ago. It carried on for about 15 mins during which time it must have devoured many insects. Charming sight to view.

[Eve]

Ah, that puts pay to that then haha, I draw the line at collecting creepy crawlies! Thanks all :)

They fascinate me to watch, just seem to circle round and round and quite close to me, I do wonder if it does attract them somehow, I thought maybe the light as I doubt it's the cigarette smoke!

[mazie]

It's the insects Eve...But they are great company when having a sneaky fag in the garden x

[FredPuli43]

The loop is easily explained. I lived in a house which was home to a bat roost. Right outside the walls, we had a well lit path around the house. We must have had the fattest bats in Britain ! The lights attracted moths. The moths attracted the bats, who had only to fall out from the eaves to get a free meal without travelling more than a few yards. Nevertheless, their flight path was in a loop, up and down the length of the walls.

Your bats operate on the same principle. Without the light on, they'd have to go rather further.

[Eve]

Ahhh so I'm kind of doing them a favour? Aww :)

They are mazie x

[Meg]

I also nip out for a quiet fag and am intrigued with the bat activity. Never considered feeding them, we have things I class as vermin and I don't want to encourage them!!

[FredPuli43]

What? Bats are vermin or moths are ? Bats are protected, so when you find loads of guano in your loft, Rentokil will turn up and say "No can do, gov! That's bats and we can't do anything". But they are harmless and you can always shovel the droppings for the garden. The moths are harmless too; bats won't be eating clothes moths, which will only be found inside now, though their ancestors lived in birds' nests; for the species outside are all of no harm to us.

[FredPuli43]

Oh, and your bats won't be eating fruit. Fruit bats are big, fly in daylight, and are not found in the wild n Britain. Yours are probably pipistrelles; if you are lucky (?) one or two will fly into the house; we used to have to rescue some found, oddly, on the carpets, in another house, and in the current house we once found some roosting in a wardrobe (what did I say about clothes moths [above] ? !) in a back, guest, bedroom which we never used but which had a window open. Our species al live on insects.

[Eve]

Thanks Fred :) I was always very careful to make sure they didn't come inside though when I had cats as I didn't want them to feel distressed at being in the house or for them to be easier prey for the cats.

Fruit bats fly in the daylight? Wow, I never knew that! Only ever seen the tiny little ones round here save the ones in the Chester Zoo bat "cave" though there are some really big looking ones in there and I'm guessing some fruit bats as they always seem to have fruit out.

I assumed Meg meant that putting food out could encourage vermin like rats?

[sue11]

A bit of info for you (copied from the Bat conservation trust website)

A common pipistrelle can eat over 3,000 tiny insects in a single night!

If you changed your mind and decided to try to catch food for them, I think you would be kept quite busy!!!

[Meg]

Yes Eve, we do have a problem with rats and mice which alas restricts me feeding other creatures which I would like to encourage.