Installation Guidance
Once you have selected the most suitable Habibat product for your project, careful consideration should be given to its location, taking into account both building design and the specific requirements of the species being accommodated.
The Habibat integrated product range is designed to support a wide variety of species and can be manufactured to suit most finishes. Bricks or stone can be provided from site and used in manufacture, allowing the habitat box to match the surrounding masonry for seamless integration. Most integrated products are designed to fit directly into the coursing of a typical masonry wall.
The decision to include wall ties at the base and head of the unit is at the discretion of the project architect and should align with the wider structural specification. However, we recommend that all integrated boxes are laid on a full bed of mortar, with surrounding joints fully filled, to ensure stability, weather resistance and long-term durability.
Habibat bat access tiles are suitable for providing access to roof voids and internal roof spaces, allowing bats to enter discreetly while maintaining the integrity of the roof covering.
In addition to integrated products, the Habibat external product range can be incorporated within landscape design to provide further biodiversity enhancements across a site.
Siting Bat Boxes
Bats generally favour warm locations, therefore integrated bat boxes should ideally be positioned on south or west facing elevations where solar gain is greatest. As bats typically access roosts from roof level or via the eaves, we recommend siting bat boxes at a minimum height of two metres, with an optimum height of between five and seven metres above ground level.
Bat boxes should not be positioned above windows, doors or climbing plants, as these can disrupt access and increase the risk of disturbance or predation. When selecting a location, consideration should also be given to the surrounding landscape, ensuring a clear flight path to the box and proximity to suitable foraging habitat. Areas close to water bodies or insect-rich environments are particularly favourable.
Integrated bat boxes should be installed away from artificial lighting, as light spill can deter bats from using the roost. Careful consideration of lighting design at an early stage is therefore recommended.
Siting Bird Boxes
The siting of integrated bird boxes is largely determined by the species being accommodated. Species such as tits, sparrows, flycatchers and starlings typically prefer boxes positioned between two and four metres above ground level. Robins and wrens favour lower nesting locations, usually below two metres. Swift boxes, by contrast, should be installed at a height of five metres or more, as swifts prefer higher access points.
Bird boxes are ideally installed on cooler elevations to prevent overheating of chicks during warmer months. North and east facing elevations are generally recommended, although care should be taken to avoid prevailing winds which could lead to water ingress. A clear flight path to the box should always be maintained.
Predation risk should also be considered, with boxes positioned away from ledges, balconies or features that could allow access by cats or other predators. Some species, including sparrows and swifts, naturally nest in colonies. Habibat offers a range of terraced and colony boxes to support this behaviour, or alternatively multiple boxes can be installed on the same elevation to increase available nesting space. As with bat boxes, we recommend positioning bird boxes away from windows and doors.
Siting Insect Bricks
Insect bricks are versatile products that can be easily incorporated into most building façades. While they can be installed on any elevation, south or south-east facing walls are generally preferred, as these provide warmer conditions that support insect activity throughout the year.
For best results, insect bricks should be installed close to pollinator-friendly planting within the surrounding landscape, such as wildflower areas, hedgerows or green spaces. This ensures that insects have access to suitable food sources as well as shelter. Insect bricks can be installed at a range of heights and are particularly effective when used in clusters or combined with other biodiversity features across a site.
Creating Hedgehog Highways
Hedgehogs are one of the UK’s most recognisable species, yet their numbers have declined significantly due to habitat loss, fragmentation and barriers within the built environment. Modern developments present a real opportunity to support hedgehog populations, but success depends on creating connected, usable habitats rather than isolated features.
At the heart of any hedgehog-friendly development is connectivity, allowing hedgehogs to move freely between gardens, green spaces and surrounding habitats.
Why connectivity matters:
Hedgehogs can travel over a kilometre each night in search of food, shelter and mates. However, in many developments, this movement is blocked by:
- Close-board fencing
- Hard boundaries
- Fragmented green space
Without access between areas, even well-designed habitat features may go unused.