Bat droppings are the unmistakable indication that house, balcony and garden are an island of hope for the flying goblins of the night. This guide explains how to reliably identify bat droppings. Read practical tips on what to do if you find bat droppings here.

Anyone who finds bat droppings should be happy

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Bat droppings appearance
  3. What to do?
  4. Use as plant fertilizer
  5. Minimize bat hazards
  6. Bat nest box tips
  7. Call the bat hotline
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Bat droppings are 3-15mm in size, oblong in shape and dark brown to black in colour.
    • Hobby gardeners who are close to nature collect bat guano (€121.99) and use the pellets as organic, nutrient-rich plant fertilizer.
    • Anyone who finds bat droppings then minimizes the dangers for the endangered animals: attach fly screens, cover rain barrels, refrain from chemical wood protection, pigeon skewers and toxic pesticides.

    What does bat droppings look like?

    Bat droppings are elongated and seldom larger than 1cm

    Bats feed exclusively on insects. Mosquitoes, beetles, spiders and moths are on the menu. This food shapes the appearance of bat droppings. The following table provides an overview of the appearance and properties of bat droppings:

    bat droppings characteristic
    size 3-10 mm (rarely up to 15 mm)
    color dark brown to black
    shape elongated, pellet-shaped
    consistency dry, shiny
    odor odorless
    special feature visible insect remains
    infection risk no

    Bat droppings are not dangerous. There are no toxic pathogens in the excrement that are harmful to the health of humans or pets. Feces and urine also do not contain the dreaded rabies virus. Bat rabies is transmitted exclusively through saliva in skin wounds. As long as you don't touch bats, there is no danger. Even rabid bats will never attack a human of their own accord. Found weakened, flightless animals should be picked up with thick leather gloves.

    Common locations

    Bat droppings always accumulate near roosts, hideouts, and nurseries. Experts refer to the grouping of several females to raise the offspring together as a nursery. The following localities are characteristic of bat droppings:

    • Under an attic
    • In the attic
    • At the chimney
    • Under roof tiles
    • Behind shutters
    • In the roller shutter box
    • In cracks in the wall
    • In tree cavities and bark crevices

    The following picture illustrates typical locations of bat droppings on the house:

    Bat feces on and in the house - what to do?

    Findings of bat droppings on and in the house are cause for celebration. In fact, one of the most hard-working insect killers has found its way into your home. A single pipistrelle eats up to 2,000 mosquitoes per night and pays rent for the accommodation in this way. The nightly feast leaves plenty of bat droppings that you shouldn't throw away unused. Furthermore, found droppings pellets are a good reason for important precautions to protect the endangered beneficial insects. The following table summarizes what to do if there is bat droppings on the house:

    What to do? options
    Use as plant fertilizer
    minimize dangers + Protective nets on windows
    + Cover open vessels
    + no chemical wood protection
    + no anti-pigeon skewers
    + no sticky traps
    + no pesticides
    Set up quarters + build quarters
    + Hang up nest boxes
    ask experts Call the bat hotline

    How to use the above options correctly is explained in more detail in the following sections with practical tips for a bat-friendly environment in and around the house.

    Use bat droppings - nutrient-rich plant fertilizer

    Bat droppings are a great fertilizer and are sold at high prices

    Bats are unique natural treasures in many ways. This even applies to their feces. The excrement is a special variant of guano, which is exceptionally not produced by birds and is referred to as bat guano. With up to 8.5 percent nitrogen and other valuable components, bat solution proves to be a superlative natural fertilizer for the hobby garden. If the winged suppliers have rented accommodation from you, you will receive the organic nutrient supply for your plants for free. How to use bat droppings as plant fertilizer:

    1. Put on gloves, arm yourself with a bucket and shovel
    2. Collect bat droppings
    3. Scatter thinly in the bed by hand
    4. Work into the surface with a rake and pour over

    Alternatively, make an organic liquid fertilizer from bat guano. Stir 3 tablespoons of manure crumbs into 1 liter of rainwater and leave the mixture to steep in a shady, cool location for a few hours. With a pH of 7.5, solid or liquid bat fertilizer is suitable for most vegetables, perennials, shrubs and flowers.

    digression

    Bats are under protection

    All 25 bat species in Germany are threatened with extinction. Horseshoe bats, noctule bats, common pipistrelle and other species are therefore subject to the Federal Nature Conservation Act or are even listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. Numerous European and international laws are dedicated to the protection of bats, so that the extraordinary mammals do not become extinct. In principle, it is illegal to hunt, kill or disturb bats or destroy their summer and winter quarters, subject to penalty.

    Minimize dangers for bats - tips & tricks

    If bats get lost in the house, it often means their death

    Did small bits of droppings reveal that you have bats as guests? Then animals worthy of protection have come to you. Various death traps lurk around the house and in the garden for the shy night owls with a big appetite for insects. What you can do to minimize the dangers:

    Fly screens on windows and doors

    Tilted windows and open doors become an entry path for stray bats all year round. When hunting prey or looking for a summer or winter quarters, the animals go astray. Once stranded in the house and apartment, the frightened bats can no longer find their way out and pay for the mistake with their lives.

    This tragedy can be avoided with simple fly screens. Mount insect protection nets on windows and doors and at the same time keep annoying flies, mosquitoes and other pests at bay. Before installation, please check whether there are no bats hiding in the roller shutter boxes, window and door gaps that could be hopelessly trapped. The important thing to note is that you leave the screens in place all year round.

    Cover for rain barrel & Co.

    Worthwhile measures such as collecting rainwater or making nettle manure yourself pose a deadly threat to innocent bats. The flying elves often die in open vessels of all kinds. For this reason, please cover the rain barrel, liquid manure barrel, bucket and watering can with a close-meshed wire mesh or lid.

    Paint biological wood protection

    By using environmentally friendly wood preservatives, you are doing a good deed for your family, for nature and especially for endangered bats. You can identify recommended wood stains, impregnations and paints when shopping by the “Blue Angel” eco-label. The Baden-Württemberg Bat Protection Working Group has published a list of wood preservatives that are explicitly bat-friendly on fledermauskunde.de.

    Pigeon defense without skewers

    Pigeon spikes are not only a deadly danger for pigeons

    When it comes to deterring pigeons, nature lovers consistently refrain from using skewers made of stainless steel or plastic. Not only pigeons and songbirds can be impaled by the spikes. When it is dark, bats often recognize much too late what deadly danger is lurking on the roof, balcony and window sill. If pigeon droppings are making your life difficult, flexible pigeon deterrent spirals and effective pigeon deterrents are the better solution because there are no fatalities.

    Insect control without sticky traps

    Sticky traps play an important role in insect control and monitoring. For unsuspecting bats, however, the sticky traps mean a slow and agonizing death. If you find bat droppings on your property or building, please remove all sticky traps. The hungry bats will hunt for annoying insects with great diligence anyway.

    Pesticides taboo inside and outside

    The rigorous absence of pesticides transforms your home and garden into a paradise for birds, bats and hedgehogs. Chemical poisons kill the winged and spiked beneficial insects through the back door. On the one hand, the food source of the insectivores is destroyed. On the other hand, birds, bats and hedgehogs suffer severe stomach ache from poisoned insects that are still alive.

    Set up bat quarters - nesting box tips

    There is a great housing shortage among bats. If you find bat droppings in a place that is completely unsuitable as a daytime hiding place in summer or winter quarters, you can set up a safe alternative quarters for the distressed animals. Tried and tested constructions are available for purchase in specialist shops, which are also suitable as nesting boxes (€49.85) or nurseries. We have summarized important information for beginners below:

    Flat boxes for crevice-dwelling bats

    Bats should not be driven away, they should be protected

    This type of box is the most commonly used and can also be built by yourself. With a shallow depth, shallow boxes are ideal for all bats that prefer narrow crevices with ventral and dorsal contact. The slight inclination of the front wall is advantageous in the models from Hasselfeldt and EMBA. The well-known Schwegler model has a door flap with different thicknesses, with the depth decreasing from bottom to top or from right to left. In this way, bats of different body sizes find a home here.

    Bat droppings cannot accumulate in flat boxes that open downwards. This is also a good solution for hobby gardeners, because the rich bat guano is simply collected from the ground.

    Round boxes as daytime and mating roosts

    The classic tit nest box was the inspiration for this box version for bats. Instead of a pitched roof, there is a domed roof and a removable front wall for cleaning work in spring and autumn. Inside a circular box is a corrugated wood-concrete wall for large bats that like to rest hanging. Some box models have additional, horizontal inner walls so that small bat species can also find space here.

    A slip tunnel on the front prevents the animals from soiling themselves with faeces when crawling in. Luxury models feature a sloping base and an open slot to allow bat droppings to fall out.

    Large-capacity caves as winter quarters or nursery

    Large-capacity caves more than double the volume and size of normal daily round boxes. Insulating double walls guarantee reliable frost protection in winter. Grooved inserts create slopes on multiple levels, ideal for a comfortable nursery. However, large-capacity caves for bats add up to a considerable weight of 15 to 30 kilograms.

    Built-in cavities for the house facade

    Bat-friendly builders include bat caves in their plans, which can be integrated decoratively and unobtrusively into house walls. Since the housing shortage among bats has been spreading, the market demand for permanent caves built into facades has been increasing. The range of models is correspondingly wide. The variants range from stackable building blocks according to the modular principle to walled-in gable tubes. Generous lodging providers choose solutions with an opening in the back wall to give shy guests access to the attic quarters.

    tips

    Finger testing reveals the furry culprit: bat poop is shiny, crumbly-dry, and crumbles when you rub it between your fingers. Mouse droppings, on the other hand, harden within a short time and do not disintegrate. Please wear gloves when doing the test.

    Ask bat experts - NABU bat hotline helps

    The German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) vehemently dispels the myths, legends and prejudices that circulate about bats. In the meantime, the intensive educational work has met with a great deal of interest in the true nature of flying mammals. This raises a lot of questions, not only in relation to bat droppings. For this reason, NABU has set up a nationwide expert hotline:

    Bat phone: 030-284984-5000

    The office hours are coordinated with the bat season. From June to August, the experts are on hand to give you good advice on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. You can reach the experts personally on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Outside of the high season, the office hours are somewhat shorter.

    frequently asked Questions

    Can you build a bat nest box yourself?

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    With a little manual skill you can build a bat box yourself. For example, you can find recommended site management at Fledermausschutz.de or in the download area of all-about-bats.net. Use splinter-free, rough-sawn wood as building material. If at all, the nest box should only be impregnated with linseed oil on the outside. In addition, the bat sanctuary should be breathable to prevent mold and not have a tar paper roof that could melt in the sun.

    Bat droppings regularly accumulate on my window sill. What to do?

    It is actually a reason to be happy that an endangered bat has found safe shelter with you. If the brown droppings on the window sill bother you, just make a virtue out of necessity. Set up a decoratively planted flower box (€16.99). From now on, fallen bat droppings will no longer be visible and your plants will benefit from the free fertilizer.

    Do I have to report finding bat droppings because it indicates the presence of bats?

    No, bats or sites with bat droppings do not have to be reported. Nevertheless, the bat experts at NABU are happy to receive any information about where to stay that gives reason to hope that the bats will be rescued. There is also an award for people who tolerate bats around the house or in the garden.

    tips

    Hobby gardeners with a big heart for little bats create a natural garden with nesting boxes. If night-blooming plants are on the design plan, the food supply for bats on their nocturnal search for prey increases, because flocks of insects romp around here. Where nodding catchfly (Silene nutans), red campion (Silene dioica) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) thrive side by side, the table is also set for growling bat stomachs.

Category:

Animals in the garden