Bats in need: insect loss threatens hibernation in Bad Segeberg

Bats in need: insect loss threatens hibernation in Bad Segeberg

Bad Segeberg. Alarming messages from Schleswig-Holstein: The bat population suffers from a dramatic insect shrinkage! "Some animals go into hibernation malnourished. In some cases, the fat reserves are not enough until next spring," warns the bat protector Ulrich Lensinger from the Nature Conservation Association (NABU). The consequences are devastating: either the bats die in their quarters or they wake up too early and risk, go hunting without having enough energy.

From October to April the bats spend their hibernation, and the Kalkberg caves in Bad Segeberg are the largest known district in Schleswig-Holstein, where around 30,000 bats hibernate annually. But the Situation is heading: the old Levensauer Hochbrücke near Kiel, once a popular shelter for the big evening sailors, is demolished. "These are all things that cause species to be worse and worse," explains Lensinger. The bats lose their habitats, while wind turbines and building renovations continue to threaten the already endangered species.

Causes of insect loss

The insect loss is not a new phenomenon! As early as 2017, a dramatic decline in flight insects in Germany was found, with a minus of over 75 percent between 1989 and 2016. Intensive agriculture, light pollution and area sealing are suspected of being the main causes. A current study from 2023 also shows that unfavorable weather conditions have further exacerbated the decline in insect mass in recent decades. The bats are faced with an existential threat - and the time is pushing!