Tea Gardens Primary School backs onto a large wetlands that has proven to be the perfect breeding ground for the great Aussie mozzie, and they have happily been chewing on the students as a source of nutrition.

In a move that will not only turn the tables on the mosquito population, but which could prove to be the saviour of one of our most endangered local residents, Tea Gardens Men’s Shed is making hand-crafted homes for microbats.

As their name suggests, the tiny bats are just a few centimeters in size, but that doesn’t stop them swallowing down up to 40 per cent of their own body weight each night in mosquitoes, sandflies and other flying insects.

This can add up to thousands of mozzies a day.

With so much natural competition for the few nest hollows available finding somewhere to live can be a real problem for these little bats.

The new “bat flats” can be mounted high up under the eaves, where the microbats remain cool and safe during the day before getting to work after dusk.

The donated bat flats will be installed by the team from the Men’s Shed around the school area during the holidays.