Bat boxes and bats in the garden

On a warm evening, a bat flicking over the lawn is one of the best signs that a garden is working for wildlife. A bat box can give them somewhere to roost. It is not a bird box with a different label, though. Bats are fully protected, and once they move in, the box is theirs. This guide covers where a bat box goes, what to expect, and what not to do.

The source is the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT). These pages were opened on 14 November 2026: Bat boxes, Putting up your box, Maintaining your bat box and Assess the situation. No product page was opened, so no box model or price is given.

What a bat box is for

The BCT says bat boxes are artificial roosts designed to encourage bats into areas where there are few roosting sites. It also says there are various designs, from wooden boxes you can make yourself to ready-made boxes and boxes built into walls, and that different bat species need different spaces.

Most bat boxes look different from a bird box: in general, the way in is a narrow gap underneath rather than a round hole in the front. That is our general description; check the design you buy. The BCT notes that the “landing board” should be left unpainted so bats can land safely.

Where to put it

The BCT’s siting advice, from its putting-up page:

• Where bats feed. Boxes are more likely to be used if they are located where bats are known to feed. If you see bats over your garden at dusk, that is a good sign.
• Near dark tree lines or hedges. The BCT says bats use dark tree lines or hedgerows for navigation.
• High. Ideally at least 4 m above the ground, where safe installation is possible. The BCT says boxes should be put as high as possible to try to avoid predation from cats.
• Some sun. Position boxes so they get sun for part of the day, and shelter them from the wind.
• Away from artificial light. The BCT says this protects bats from predation. A box next to a security light is in the wrong place.
• On buildings, close to the eaves.
• More than one. Ideally, several boxes facing in different directions, so bats can choose.

The height matters for your own safety too. Only put a box up high if you can do it safely, with someone to hold the ladder. The BCT suggests contacting your local bat group if you cannot install a box yourself, though it says they may not be able to help in every case.

The same patience you need with a new nest box applies, only more so.

Be patient

The BCT says bats need time to find and explore new homes, and “it may be several months or even years before boxes have residents”. It also says that once bats find a place they want to live, they can return over and over again.

You do not need to look inside to know. The BCT lists the signs: droppings on the landing area, urine stains on the lower part of the box, and chittering from inside on warm afternoons and evenings.

Never open a box that bats may be using

This is the most important difference from a bird box. The BCT says bats are vulnerable to disturbance and fully protected under UK law, and that boxes “must only be opened by a licensed bat worker”.

Its maintenance page goes further: once bats have moved in, a bat box can only be opened, moved or disturbed by someone with the right licence, and that is “the case all year round, even if the bats are only in residence for part of the year”. If you are not sure whether a box is in use, the BCT says members of the local bat group can sometimes check for you.

So, for a bat box:

• Do not open it to look inside.
• Do not move it or take it down once it might be in use.
• Do not clean it out. Repairs, cleaning and repositioning all fall under the same licence rule.

We are not describing how licences work, because none of the pages we opened explains that process. If you need a box moved, ask the National Bat Helpline or your local bat group.

If you find a bat

Do not handle it yourself. Call the BCT’s National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 and follow their advice. The BCT’s helpline hours are listed on its bat boxes page; it also runs a volunteer out-of-hours line in season for emergencies. The BCT says: “Please don’t release the bat without further advice.”

Keep children and pets away while you wait for advice.

Feeding bats without feeding them

Bats eat insects, so a garden full of insects is a garden that feeds bats. The broad picture is in wildlife-friendly garden. The specifics that help most:

• Log piles, leaf litter and compost heaps, which are full of invertebrates. See leaf litter, log piles and compost.
• A pond, which draws flying insects at dusk. See ponds and amphibians.
• Flowers through the year. See bees and pollinator nests.
• Fewer chemicals. See pesticides, slug pellets and wildlife.

The BCT advises keeping boxes away from artificial light. Our own common-sense extension is to keep the whole garden darker at night: switch off lights you do not need and point security lights down.

Where should I put a bat box?

The BCT says where bats feed, near dark tree lines or hedges, ideally at least 4 m up where safe, with sun for part of the day, sheltered from wind and away from artificial light.

Can I look inside my bat box?

No. The BCT says once bats have moved in, a box can only be opened, moved or disturbed by someone with the right licence, all year round. Look for droppings and urine stains below it instead.

What should I do if I find a bat on the ground?

Do not handle it yourself. Call the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 and follow their advice, and do not release it without advice.