Thankyou to Southbroom resident Sharlene van der Slikke for kindly donating this wonderful bat box which was erected by our caring conservancy members outside the Trattoria La Terrazza facing in a Westerly direction.
Specially designed bat boxes provide a stable housing option to encourage and support both seasonal and resident insectivorous bat populations, promoting a healthier environment and providing an ideal site to observe them doing what they do best…
Bats are the primary predators of night-flying insects, making them nature’s great biological control agents for insects. One small bat is able to consume over 1000 mosquitoes in an hour. In agricultural areas, bats can contribute significantly in bringing agricultural insect pest populations under control.
Sadly, many bat species globally are facing drastic declines in their populations. Human fear, persecution, chemical pesticide use, and the destruction of roost sites has contributed significantly to the decline in bat populations.
By erecting a bat box in your area you can support resident bat populations by providing an environmentally friendly alternative to pesticide use, reducing the need for chemical control and naturally enhancing the balance in your garden, farm, orchard and your neighbourhood, to benefit both the bats and the community.
South Africa has 56 recorded species of bats. Of the 74 species found in the sub-region of southern Africa, 20 species of insectivorous bats and 2 species of fruit-eating bats are listed as Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Of these 9 are listed as either Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable, meaning that they face a high risk of extinction in the wild.
