The installation of bat refuges along the banks of the River Segura in Calasparra is a success story for the volunteers of the Naturalist Association of South East Murcia (ANSE).
The wooden boxes, generally hung in trees or other high spots as a form of natural insect control, are ideal for nesting bats and some 65% of those installed are already occupied.
The experiment began in 2017 and some 142 refuges have been installed since then.
The refuges are boxes made out of pinewood and are installed between 2.4 and 5.9 metres on trees, posts and buildings.
Maximum occupation of a refuge in Calasparra is 18 bats but generally they are occupied buy a pair.
The boxes are inspected monthly by volunteers with an endoscopic camera.
“The results are very encouraging. It would be difficult to improve on an occupation of 65%, which is far superior to other areas,” said a spokesperson for ANSE.
