by Alison White
The smallest and commonest bat in the UK is pipistrelles and it seams that these bats are the smallest European bats. They have dark red/brown fur on their backs and yellow/brown undersides. The ears, nose and wing membranes are black/brown. They occupy a variety of habitats, including open woodland, parks, marshes, farmland and urban areas. Pipistrelles emerge from their roosts to feed relatively early - sometimes before sunset. They hunt small moths, gnats and other small insects, often returning to their roost after a couple of hours, although they may emerge for another feed during the night. A single pipistrelle may consume up to 3,000 insects in one night. In the summer they tend to roost in buildings, bat boxes and trees. In the winter they also use trees and buildings, as well as large churches and cellars. They hibernate from mid-November to the beginning of April. They are rapid, agile fliers, flying about 5-10m above the ground. Even though pipistrelles are not threatened and are the commonest bat in the UK, numbers have decreased over the past decade. They are not listed by the IUCN list of threatened species.
They have been found living in family houses, at Westminster and now in South Wales in the Oak House building in Monmouth. This last habitat of the bats was found when BT engineers went to inspect the Oak House building ahead of some modernisation work.
Even though these bats are not listed by the IUCN list of threatened species they are protected and the BT Group plc, holding company for an integrated group of businesses that provide voice and data services in the UK is trying to help them by contacting the Countryside Council for Wales. The Countryside Council for Wales, following commitments made at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, has produced a series of biodiversity action plans for some of the UK's protected and threatened plants and animals and the habitats they depend on. These plans are now turning into action on a local as well as a national level. As Erica Colkett, species officer for the Countryside Council for Wales, decided that "this is quite a big colony - much bigger than you would find in the average roost site and quite important for the area and for that reason it is important that their habitat and roosting places are protected", BT Group are looking for a solution to ensure the protected species is not disturbed. They decided that will construct a new access hole in the building for the bats to use. Jack Foxall, of BT Property explained that "they are doing work to separate the old listed Oak House building in Priory Street with a newer extension at the back. The link between this and the old building at the front is where the bats are roosting behind the cladding on a wall. We are happy to share our accommodation with the bats though and we will be providing them with a new access hole. The important thing is that we do this work without causing them unnecessary disturbance."
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