Did you know the natural pest control services provided by insectivorous bats contribute a staggering $63.6 million annually in avoided cotton yield damage to the Australian cotton industry?

And now it's time for farmers and others living rurally around Nyngan, Mungindi and Weemela to give back to these little creatures by participating in research as Citizen Scientists for the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).

Over a period of three to five days, volunteer landholders will be equipped with bat detectors which will capture the high-frequency echolocation calls from bats soaring high overhead. Insect-eating bats are among only a few groups of species, dolphins and whales too, that use echolocation to navigate, hunt and communicate with each other.

They produce sound waves, called 'calls', at frequencies above human hearing, they listen to the echo, and then determine the size, shape and texture of objects in their environment.

There are 34 species of insect-eating bats in New South Wales, 18 of which are listed as threatened. This is the second monitoring season following a successful inaugural year where 95,996 bat calls were recorded across Narrabri, Wellington, Western Sydney and the Pillar Valley. During this survey 24 different species of bat, which included 9 threatened species, were identified.

 Eastern cave bats (Vespadelus troughtoni). Credit: John Lemon/DPE

Jessica, from Narrabri, took part in the survey last year and said she was surprised with the results.

"About a third of our property is under stewardship with the Box-gum Grassy Woodlands. We've been interested in biodiversity and knowing what's there. Don't know much about bats, so I thought we'd better find out what bats are here" Jessica said. "We were very surprised by what was actually recorded. "There were nine different species of bats on our property, and two of them are quite endangered or rare species, which was really interesting to learn about."

Saving our Species Senior Threatened Species Officer, Jess Peterie said the expansion of the program will help collect more information about these creatures.

"By expanding the Bats in Backyards program to Nyngan, Mungindi and Weemelah, we’re hoping to uncover more information about the critical role insectivorous bats play in maintaining the delicate balance of our rural ecosystems," Ms Peterie said. "Farmers and rural landholders are frontline warriors in a battle against agricultural pests, and insectivorous bats are their unsung allies. These nocturnal marvels are capable of consuming their own body weight in insects every night, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to insecticide application."

"By understanding more about the bats that live in the local area, what they eat and where they prefer to live, we can better focus our conservation efforts. This research not only benefits the local agricultural industry but also contributes to the conservation of threatened bat species."

Large bent-winged bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis). Credit: Alex Pike/DPE

Dr Joanna Handcock, Threatened Species Officer with DPE agreed that we really don't know as much as we should about these native mammals and said the high frequency recorders are ideal for Citizen Scientists.

"The AudioMoth bat detector records high frequency noise in the sky or wherever you point it, which means that it can actually record the echolocation calls of bats that are flying above your head that you can't actually see with your own eyes," Dr Handcock said. "By setting these AudioMoths up on private property, we'll be able to tell a lot more about where these insects eating bats fly, where they forage, and where they reach."

Participating citizen scientists will receive a personalised report detailing each bat species detected above their property, their preferred habitat and food sources, as well as recommendations for their protection and conservation.

For more information on how to get involved, click here