Design, installation and monitoring of shelter networks for your project.
Bat boxes with technical site assessment, maintenance, occupancy checks and reports tailored to your organisation.
We assess habitat, existing roosts, installation conditions and monitoring options before proposing models, quantities and locations.
We manufacture handcrafted wooden shelters and 3D-printed designs to order in Málaga. Our wooden models include the flat two-chamber shelter and the triangular shelter. Other designs can be manufactured using 3D printing, with materials, dimensions and conditions of use specified for each project.
Agriculture: shelter networks within biodiversity and biological pest-control projects. Cities and tourist sites: bat conservation and additional roosting opportunities. Research: identified and georeferenced shelters, occupancy checks and acoustic monitoring according to study objectives.
Watch our shelter work on video
More than 160 shelters installed, with experience in natural areas, farmland and urban settings. Each network brings together design, installation and monitoring. Explore our shelter map to see where we work.
These photographs document real installations and bats of the genus Pipistrellus inside shelters from different projects. Identification remains at genus level where the evidence does not support a species identification.
From installation to documented use. Interior images are monitoring records: they confirm presence at the time of observation. Linking them to the shelter, date and inspection history makes them more informative.
Request an installation and monitoring proposal for your farm or organisation
Field photograph of a MuMa shelter being installed on a tree.
3D visualisation of a MuMa design in its intended setting.
Exploded 3D view of the two-chamber design: roof, panels and internal spaces.
The proposal sets out the work and documentation included. Supply, installation, maintenance and monitoring can be commissioned according to your needs.
Deliverables can include:
MuMa’s records include confirmed bat use. One verified example is the inspection of shelter MM 095 on 28 November 2025: 3 Pipistrellus individuals observed. This is a result for one shelter on one date, rather than a network-wide occupancy rate.
Each visit distinguishes confirmed occupancy (bats observed), evidence of previous use (such as guano), no detection and shelters not assessed. Birds, geckos and other animals are recorded separately. This supports decisions on conservation, maintenance and network improvements.
An occupancy rate is reported with the project, date and number of occupied shelters relative to those actually inspected; unassessed units are excluded. Repeated visits help assess seasonal use and continuity.
Design and placement also account for thermal conditions: research shows that these affect suitability and overheating risk. Artificial shelters complement habitat conservation and protection of natural roosts.
References: Rueegger, N. (2016). Bat boxes: a review of their use and application, past, present and future. Acta Chiropterologica. Crawford, R. D. et al. (2022). Evaluating bat boxes: design and placement alter bioenergetic costs and overheating risk. Conservation Physiology, 10, coac027.
An empty shelter on one visit does not mean it is never used. Repeated visits help us understand changes over time. Bat activity in the surrounding area and use of the boxes are distinct measures.
Where needed, a network can be complemented by bioacoustic monitoring, with sampling effort and analysis budgeted separately.
Explore our shelter networks at Málaga TechPark, SELWO, Fuente de Piedra and Paradores. You can also explore the MuMa bat shelter map.
Tell us the municipality, type of site and conservation objectives. If you already have shelters, tell us how many, when they were installed and which inspections have been carried out.
We will prepare a proposal covering models, installation, documentation and monitoring according to your needs. The quote will specify the work included, delivery times and agreed inspection frequency.
Bats observed inside a MuMa shelter.
We also assess shelters and habitat features for other wildlife species as part of biodiversity and ecological restoration projects.
Locations are assessed according to habitat, exposure, access and maintenance conditions.
No. Occupancy depends on the species, location, surrounding habitat and time since installation.
Yes. Supply, installation and monitoring are specified separately in the proposal.
The frequency and method are agreed for the project and its conservation objectives.
Observed occupancy, signs of use, condition and maintenance needs.
Other species may use them. Any intervention should be assessed before acting.
Yes. We first review the available inventory, locations and previous records.
Yes. Where the project requires it, acoustic monitoring can complement shelter inspections. Sampling effort, analysis and reporting are specified and budgeted separately.
Bats are mammals in the order Chiroptera, distinct from rodents.
Bats can see; many species also use echolocation to navigate and find food.
Shelters complement conservation measures. Existing natural roosts must remain a priority.
