Wool of bat...

Let's bust some spooky Halloween myths about our nocturnal flying friends...

As pumpkins are carved and costumes are donned, our thoughts turn to those night-time dwellers that lurk in the shadows and are seen only from the corners of our eyes. We tell ourselves ghoulish stories about Dracula turning into a bat and witches adding nature's ingredients into their cauldrons. Our lack of knowledge (or interest) in these mysterious creatures that emerge as the sun sets has manifested in stories and myths that are more familiar to us than the animals themselves.

Before we go any further, let's bust some of those myths and startle you with facts.

No, bats don't turn into Dracula
No, adding their 'wool' to a cauldron (along with the eye of a poor newt or the toe of a hopless frog) won't effect a curse.
No, although eyesight may not abe their primary sense, they're not blind (so think twice before you accuse your loved one as being 'as blind as a bat').
No, they won't get caught in your hair because they have a great sense of direction.
No, not all bats hang upside down when they're roosting but it does allow them to simply let go and spread their wings when they're ready to fly.
Yes, they're sometimes called flying mice but they're genetically closer to humans than to rodents.
Yes, they're munching machines - common pipistrelles, the bats most commonly found in and around our houses, need to eat over 3000 insects in one night.
Yes, they're tiny. A lesser horseshoe bat weighs in at about the same as a £1 coin.

Bechstein's bat on a tree trunk by Chris Damant — Bechstein's bat by Chris Damant

Bats originally made use of the vast swathes of woodland that once covered the UK, often using holes in mature trees for roosting. Some of our bats, such as barbastelle and Bechstein's bats, still depend on our woodlands for roosting and foraging. Others, such as common and soprano pipistrelles and Natterer's bats, have adapted to using different features such as gaps under roof and hanging wall tiles, under roofing felt in lofts, soffit boxes and crevices in brick or stonework. Different bats require different roosting spots - some will hang freely from a roof whereas others like to tuck themselves into a nook or cranny.

During summer, when bats may be raising their young, a warm but not hot temperature is required - lofts as well as barns/outbuildings (if not draughty) often provide ideal conditions. During their winter hibernation, roosts require a constant and cool temperature to ensure the fluctuations in external temperatures do not disturb the bats’ inactive phase; disturbance can have disastrous consequences for their survival. Suitable hibernation conditions can be provided by cellars, well insulated barns, old icehouses and caves.

Young person holding a bat detector with a head torch pointing at the detector by Emma Bradshaw — Bat detecting by Emma Bradshaw

Bats use their hearing to hunt food by using echolocation. This means that they emit a sound and use the return of its echo to ‘see’ what’s ahead of them, whether it’s the movement of an insect (target) or the size of your head (avoid). Each species of bat calls on a different frequency so if you have an electronic bat detector, like the one in this photo, you’ll be able to hear them and be able to work out which bat is which.

The echolocation allows them to eat hundreds and thousands of insects every night. Our insects, however, are declining so this might give you a hint as to how our bats are doing. 41% of our insects face extinction, largely due to loss of habitat and an increased use of pesticides. From a bat's point of view, combine this decline in food with the destruction of roosting habitats and you might start worrying about your future.

Fortunately, bats are legally protected so anyone who wants to re-roof a house, renovate an old building or chop down a large tree should arrange for a survey to check for the bats before starting work. Many of our nature reserves have plenty of natural roosting spaces for bats but we also erect bat boxes to help provide even more - this is something you can do at home. As well as putting up a bat box under your eaves or leaving space for them to roost in your house, if you've got a garden try to ensure that you've packed it with shrubs, flowers and trees that attract the moths and other insects that they need to dine on every night. Together, we can make a difference for our wildlife.