Microbats
Microbats are tiny insect-eating bats vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Each night, a single microbat can consume its body weight in insects including moths, such as the light brown apple moth, beetles, and other common agricultural pests. Despite their importance, microbats are in decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and environmental changes that disrupt their ability to forage.
Microbats rely on echolocation – emitting high-frequency sound pulses and interpreting the echoes to “see” in the dark. This natural sonar helps them fly, hunt, and avoid obstacles. However, large open agricultural areas with few natural features – like vineyards – can confuse or limit their movement, making it harder for them to locate prey efficiently.
Echolocation is crucial for microbats to navigate in the dark and locate prey, which are often insects. They can adjust the frequency and rate of their calls, increasing the rate when they detect prey (a “feeding buzz”) to better track its movements. While microbats can see, they rely heavily on echolocation, especially in low-light conditions.
Thanks to the generous support of the Coles Nurture Fund, we are pioneering a world-first Project to support microbat populations in our vineyards through targeted navigation support. The ‘BatNav System’ – as we’ve called it – is a series of interventional structures designed mimic natural landscape cues and subtly steer microbats into pest-rich zones, extending their predation distance and ‘feeding zone’ to increase their feeding efficiency, thus further reducing pest populations in the vineyards.
This Project has the potential to change the face of agriculture across the planet. By showcasing how natural pest control can be integrated into farming practices, we’re looking to set a global precedent for sustainable agriculture. By enhancing microbat activity, growers can reduce reliance on pesticides leading to improved soil health, safer produce, and lower chemical runoff into waterways.
Critically, estimates suggest this approach could help save the Australian wine industry up to $50 million annually by reducing crop damage and lowering input costs. It’s a win-win: natural biodiversity protection aligned with sustainable agriculture.
By proving this concept in our in vineyards, we’re seeking to usher in a new era of agriculture where technology and nature work hand-in-hand to create sustainable, productive farming systems.
Crucially, we’re well on our way to delivering the ‘BatNav System’, with three different prototypes – or ‘proof of concept’ designs – installed in our vineyards ahead of the 2025 vintage.
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