Key messages
Read our guidance on Key messages before continuing
- We have captured no evidence for the effects of providing bat boxes, bat grilles or improvements to roosts on farmland wildlife.
'No evidence' for an action means we have not yet found any studies that directly and quantitatively tested this action during our systematic journal and report searches. Therefore we have been unable to assess whether or not the action is effective or has any harmful impacts. Please get in touch if you know of such a study for this action.
Background information and definitions
This intervention involves providing artificial nest sites for bats or improvements to bat roosts. Summer roost sites where bats rest during the day may be found in buildings, hollow trees, under bridges or in caves (Entwistle et al. 2001). Artificial roost sites in the form of bat boxes can provide additional roosting habitat, they are typically made of wood and may be placed on buildings or trees (Entwistle et al. 2001). Existing roosting sites may be protected from disturbance by installing bat grilles. Grilles allow bats to access their roost sites whilst excluding humans (Mitchell-Jones 2004).
Entwistle A.C., Harris S., Hutson A.M., Racey P.A., Walsh A., Gibson S.D., Hepburn I. & Johnston J. (2001) Habitat management for bats – A guide for land managers, land owners and their advisors. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK.
Mitchell-Jones A.J. (2004) Conserving and creating bat roosts. Pages 111-134 in: A.J. Mitchell-Jones & A.P. McLeish (eds.) 3rd Edition Bat Workers’ Manual. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK.
Please cite as:
Dicks, L.V., Ashpole, J.E., Dänhardt, J., James, K., Jönsson, A., Randall, N., Showler, D.A., Smith, R.K., Turpie, S., Williams D.R. & Sutherland, W.J. (2019) Farmland Conservation Pages 291-330 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, N. Ockendon, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2019. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.
