Using recordings and the analysis of ultrasonic, five species of bats have been identified at the Herdade do Esporão. Part of the bats’ diet includes moths responsible for damage and disease in the vineyard, where, naturally, there are few places bats can shelter. Because of this, after feeding, these small mammals used to move on to other places.
So they could settle, we installed bat boxes throughout the vineyard and olive grove. In exchange, the bats help us fight pests in a natural and sustained way.
As a result of this partnership, we have drastically reduced the need for pesticides or synthetic products, providing healthier produce and improving the biological life of existing soils and fauna.
Currently, most of the boxes are occupied, increasing the bat population on the estate, as well as enhancing and maintaining local biodiversity. Our goal is to boost the number of bats and consolidate the unlikely friendship between farmers and these small mammals.
