Nesting aids

Nesting aids can help endangered species such as wild bees, birds and bats, which are particularly affected by dwindling habitats, to raise their young. Nesting aids should be stable and protected from the rain. A roofed house wall is particularly suitable for this.

Practical guide to nesting aids (German only)

Nesting aids for wild bees

Most wild bees nest in open ground. Some species use pithy plant stems, others favour rotten wood and some prefer cavities. Nesting aids for wild bees are easy to make yourself. In addition to sand lenses for ground nesting, suitable nesting aids can be created from stems or deciduous wood.

Materials:

Hardwood (fruit trees, ash, beech, oak, etc.): Branches, trunks, or boards at least 8 cm thick
Pithy stems (e.g. bamboo)
Rotten wood
Bricks
Drill

Construction:

Drill clean holes with a diameter of 2 - 10 mm and a length of 6 - 14 cm into the wood (do not drill all the way through the wood!)
Make sure that there are no sharp splinters or spikes inside the holes
Keep a distance of about 2 cm between the holes
Tie the stems together in a bundle or fill the holes in a brick with them
The stems must not have any fibrous edges

Function:

Serve as a nesting place for wild bees and help with the rearing of young animals

Location:

Sunny location facing south-southeast
Near a species-rich flower meadow with native flowering plants
The entrance should not be blocked by plants
Protected from rain
Combination of different nesting aids next to each other (e.g. in a wild bee hotel)

Further links, brochures and leaflets:

Further instructions (German only)

Nesting aids for bats

Nesting aids for bats can be built yourself or bought. Bats are crepuscular and prefer narrow crevices. They look for warm, safe roosts to raise their young, while in winter they prefer cool, damp places.

Structure

Construction of a 2-chamber bat box 1 (German only)
Construction of a 2-chamber bat box 2 (German only)

Location:

Install the boxes protected from the weather, e.g. under a roof eaves
Ideally, the boxes should face south-east or east. Several boxes in different directions allow the bats to move quickly depending on the weather conditions
Hang the boxes at a height of at least 4 m
Avoid placing the boxes behind trees or other obstacles. The space below the box must be clear for approach and departure

Function:

Rearing the young
Protection and shelter
Hibernation
Promotion of the population
Replacement of natural roosts

Further links, brochures and leaflets:

Possible hiding places for bats (German only)
Buy 2-chamber bat box 1 (German only)
Buy a 2-chamber bat box 2 (German only)

Nesting aids for birds

Nesting aids for birds are species-specific and must be built at the appropriate location depending on the species. As there is a lack of old and rotten trees with natural cavities and small hollows in urban areas, nesting aids for cavity-nesting birds are particularly useful.