Summer shelters

Attics, buildings and various construction places

Some bat species use the human constructions and settle down attic spaces of human dwellings. Everybody knows about bats in church towers or in ceilings. Here are suitable conditions for living and for development of youngs as well as less disturbance and therefore such places are occupied by e.g. colonies of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), the Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis myotis), Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus), Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus), Grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus). Besides old buildings, some species settle down also „modern“ panel houses using the hollow spaces of attics and cracks between panels. Thus, we can see noctule bats and the common pipistrelle close to housing estates.

Tree hollows and other forest shelters

Some species survive even in a more hidden way of living. They occur in forests in tree hollows, under the bark or in forest cottages under the wooden cobbles, window shutter etc. Among these species we count Common noctule, Lesser noctule, Natterer's bat, Bechstein's bat, Whiskered bat, Brandt's bat, Daubenton's bat, Pond bat, Nathusius's pipistrelle, Northern bat, Particoloured Bat. These species hibernate in these shelters, mostly in hollows of trees big enough to provide protection from tough winter. Therefore it is inevitable for these species to keep in forest enough old and naturally hollowed trees. The nature-close management is an assumption for survival of these species. Special bat boxes placed in forests help us to discover the life of forest bats; however this doesn’t mean a sustainable solution of bat protection. Bat boxes are used abroad as a part of prevention measures against pests in the intensively managed forests with lack of natural hollows.

Winter shelters

Caves, old mining (adits), cellars and various buildings (mostly panel houses)

For centuries, generations of bats return each autumn into the underground spaces of caves to survive the winter in stable microclimate underground conditions.  Hanging on the walls or hidden in the holes, bats fall into hibernation – a state of body rigidity with retarded life processes. Lesser horseshoe bat , Greater horseshoe bat, Greater mouse-eared bat, Northern bat, Barbastelle can be easily found at the winter shelters. Rarely, Natterer's bat, Geoffroy's bat, Pond bat can be found at the winter shelters, too. There is an evidence of a few-thousands colony of hibernating Common pipistrelle.  Such winter shelters are very rare. The small stone cellar under our house can also become a proper winter shelter for few Grey long-eared bats.