Ecosystem services
Bats eat insects that might otherwise damage our crops and plants. All around the world, bats provide ‘ecosystem services’ for people.
Biodiversity
Ireland has lost much of its biodiversity. Even small spaces like tiny suburban gardens can be part of the solution!
Enjoyment
A bat-friendly garden can provide relaxing, unique evening views of bats in flight.
What is the Gardening for Bats Project?
This project came from a question we are often asked by members of the public ‘What can I do for bats?’. The truth is, there is a lot anyone with an outdoor space can easily do for bats. With this project, we aim to:
- Create resources for gardeners to help them make bat- and wildlife-friendly decisions when gardening.
- For garden centres – provide signage, printed materials and resources to help your customers choose bat friendly trees, hedging and herbaceous perennials, as well as ponds and other features.
- For Irish plant nurseries - provide ‘I’m bat friendly’ labelling for Irish grown, native hedging and tree stock, as well as labels for herbaceous perennials that support nocturnal pollinators.
Videos
Downloads
Do you have a question about bats?
Our bat query form will help answer most enquiries we receive
Quick help
Answers to some of the most common queries we receive.
advice about bat roosts
Please read the information provided on bat roosts.
If you still have questions, please contact us and we will do our best to help with your questions
Found a grounded bat?
Bats sometimes appear in houses or on the ground outdoors during the day time. There is a range of options to help a bat back on the wing again, but what to do depends on the situation.
Bats and planning
Where a bat roost is known to occur on the site of a proposed development, expert advice needs to be sought and best practice guidelines need to be followed.
For more information about Irish bats and the work we do
For more information about Irish bats, the work we do at Bat Conservation Ireland, as well as opportunities to volunteer with the Irish Bat Monitoring Programme (no experience necessary!) and support us, see our main website.
