When you think of bats, what comes to mind? Maybe spooky Halloween decorations, old castles, or even vampires! But the truth is, bats are far from scary. They’re actually amazing little creatures that play a huge role in keeping our environment healthy.
We recently joined the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust for a bat walk at Stocker’s Lake to learn more about these fascinating animals. Armed with bat detectors, torches, and plenty of curiosity, we set out to see what we could find, and what we discovered might just change how you think about bats forever.
Meet the bats that love water
One of the highlights of our evening was spotting Daubenton’s bats skimming low over the water. These small bats are often called “water bats” because they hunt just above the surface of lakes and rivers, swooping down to catch tiny insects like midges and mosquitoes — all without making a splash! If you’ve ever sat by the water on a summer’s evening and noticed a few silent shapes darting across the surface, there’s a good chance you were watching Daubenton’s bats in action.
Daubenton’s bats are just one of the 17 species of breeding bats found across the UK. But in recent years, bat numbers have been declining. Two of the main reasons are loss of natural habitats — like hedgerows, old trees, and wetlands — and the decrease in insect populations, which are their main source of food. Protecting our rivers, lakes, and surrounding habitats is not only important for bats but also for the wider ecosystem, helping to keep insect populations healthy and balanced.
We’re proud to work with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to help support local bat populations. One way we do this is by installing bat boxes around our sites, including at Stockers Lake. These help to provide safe, sheltered roosting spots for bats to rest, breed, and hibernate. A bat box is designed to mimic the hollows and narrow crevices found in trees and their bark, giving bats a familiar and secure place to hang. Bat boxes are especially important as natural habitats, like old trees and buildings, continue to disappear. By giving bats these safe spaces, we’re helping them thrive despite changes in the landscape, while also supporting the insects they feed on and the wider ecosystem.
A clever trick called echolocation
One of the most amazing things about bats is the way they “see” in the dark. Bats use echolocation, which means they make high-pitched sounds that bounce off nearby objects. The echoes tell them what’s around, where trees, insects, or even other bats might be.
Here’s something we learnt on the bat walk: each species of bat has its own unique echolocation frequency. We were each given a bat detector, so you can actually tell which species you’re hearing just by the sound’s frequency. It’s a bit like having your own bat radio, tuning into different stations depending on which bat is nearby!
At Stocker’s Lake, our detectors picked up a few different species, including Daubenton’s and Soprano Pipistrelle, each making its own distinctive clicks and chirps. We learnt that a single Pipistrelle bat can eat as many as 3000 midges in one night!
Bats and the cold
As the nights start to get cooler, especially around this time of year, bats begin to slow down. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees, their food supply (mostly insects) becomes scarce, so bats go into a state of rest. They lower their body temperature and heartbeat to save energy.
It’s their way of coping with winter, and many species will soon find cosy spots to hibernate, such as hollow trees, caves, or even old buildings. Common roosts include our homes, like under people’s roof tiles and behind fascias and soffit boards. So while you’re carving pumpkins and wrapping up warm, bats are already preparing for a long winter’s nap.
Upside-down but not all the same
We often imagine all bats hanging upside down in caves, but here’s a fun fact: only two types of UK bat hang completely upside
down – the lesser and greater horseshoe bats.
Most other bats actually roost in a slightly different way, clinging to surfaces or finding crevices where they can tuck themselves away safely. Horseshoe bats, which have a special shape on their nose (which looks a bit like a tiny horseshoe!) are the exception.
No need to fear - bats aren’t out to get you
Despite their spooky reputation, bats aren’t dangerous to people. In fact, they’re shy, gentle animals that prefer to keep to themselves.
There’s only one type of bat in the world that might bite you, the vampire bat - and they don’t live anywhere near the UK. They’re found in parts of Central and South America, where they feed on the blood of livestock like cows. But even then, they’re not interested in humans!
All the bats you’ll see here in the UK feed on insects, not blood. And given how many mosquitoes they eat each night, we should probably be thanking them rather than fearing them!
Helping bats at home
If you’d like to help bats where you live, there are a few simple things you can do:
- Put up a bat box in your garden - it’s like a cosy home for them to roost in.
- Avoid using pesticides, as these can harm the insect's bats feed on.
- Keep some water in your garden, like a pond or water butt, bats love to drink on the wing!
- If you’re thinking about renovating or adding plastic cladding to your roof, it’s worth checking first, you might be sharing your home with some very useful and quiet neighbours!
- Join your local bat walk with the Wildlife Trust to learn more fun facts about bats.
By creating a bat-friendly space, you can help these amazing creatures continue to thrive.
Our takeaway from the bat walk
Our evening at Stocker’s Lake showed us just how fascinating and misunderstood bats really are. Listening to their calls through the detectors and watching them dart across the water was a reminder that there’s so much more to bats than their spooky reputation.
This Halloween, when you see a bat decoration or hear the flap of wings in the dark, remember: bats aren’t something to be scared of, they’re an essential part of our local wildlife and deserve our protection and respect.