74 EMROP: Waihi North Project WAI-985-000-PLN-LC-0001_Rev0 clean • Bat roost boxes may be more effective when placed near the potential roosts they are intended to replace and orientated in relation to sunlight. For this reason, some large pine trees beyond the WNP footprint may be directed to be retained by the Project bat ecologist, where such pines may support roost habitat or where retention may provide a support structure to attach an artificial bat roost. • The artificial bat roosts should be deployed at a minimum height of four metres from the ground on an appropriate tree, with no clutter within 2 m of the roost opening. • ‘Possum coil’ bandings will be wrapped around the trunk of each tree containing an artificial bat roost (above and below the artificial roost) to deter mammalian predators. Any bat roost boxes installed will be checked annually until mine closure and emptied of nesting materials (that may be brought in by birds). The provision of artificial roost boxes has been used internationally with the aim of providing additional, or replacement potential roosts and enhancing biodiversity in a variety of habitats. Information on the effectiveness of artificial bat roost designs for long-tailed bats in New Zealand however is limited. In recent years, several bat box designs have been installed at sites in New Zealand: • A timber ‘Kent’ bat box design (Auckland Council); • A timber ‘Microbat box’ design (Auckland Council); • A bespoke timber design similar to the ‘Kent’ (Waikato Regional Council); and • Four Schwegler ‘woodcrete’ designs (models 2F, 2FN, 1FF and 1FD; DOC, South Canterbury). Of these, long-tailed bats are known to have roosted in the bespoke WRC ‘Kent’ design and all four of the Schwegler designs. In South Canterbury, roost boxes installed in 2003 were used by bats within 2 years and were still in use five years after installation. Boxes were used by bats at least occasionally, although further checks detected no apparent use by bats. In 2018, bats were found roosting in artificial bat boxes in Hamilton, five years after installation.
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