[Springlands]

Over the last few weeks I have noticed bats (do not know which type) flying over our hen run. I think that what is happening is that night flying insects are attracted to the chicken poo and the bats are attracted by the insects. Has anyone else seen this?

[8doubles]

Mosquitoes could be attracted by the Co2 from the chooks breath and the bats are saving them from a few bites.
I enjoy bat watching but haven`t seen any around the house for a few years , i put it down to modern plastic fascia and soffit boards not leaving any gaps . Rotten wooden ones were far more bat (and sparrow) friendly.

[Spana]

I love bats.  We have a lot here.  There is a big roost in a corner of our house- built mid 1600s so no plastic .  I counted 300 leave then my neck got so painful from looking up that i gave up, but they were still coming out.     There are others that  come out from under the slates and others that live in the woods and skim over the lake.     I love them all, think they are wonderful and interesting and so beautiful when you see one close up.
The most amazing sight is when they return to their roost as it starts to get light, but it is difficult to time it just right to see it.  They fly round and round , loads of them and go back in one at a time.
I'm a big bat fan

[nicky d]

we have loads of bats in our garden too, i love watching them at night flying,  im not sure where there coming from though, we live in the middle of a large estate, im thinking the conifiers in my garden prehaps         nickyx

[Springlands]

Nicky D - not too sure where they come from either but there are a couple of old disused farm houses near me so that is probably the answer. I do not have as many as you Spana - just about a dozen but I love to see them and now make a point of looking each night to see if they are there. Not too sure that we have mossies 8doubles but anything that eats bad insects is a friend of mine and my chooks.

[azubah]

We had bats about 10 years ago.
I had not noticed them until the cat went out and sat on the lawn at dusk crying and showing his teeth the way cats do when they see a bird. The thought of flying mice clearly excited him.

[Junie]

We have bats in our barns, some swoop around the house ( as one barn is attached to the house, and the separate barn houses quite few bats although we can't see where they are during the day, they do seem to swoop over the hens day area though, so presumably it does attract the flies or mossies - the more mossies the bats can get - the happier my skin will be!!