The seasonal activity of Leisler's bat Nyctalus leisleri and pipistrelle bats Pipistrellus spp. with respect to minimum bat numbers and habitat use were investigated in County Down, Northern Ireland using a driven transect from April 1998 to October 1998. Data were collected in lowland farmland near Belfast, Northern Ireland using two BatBox III bat detectors tuned to detect both species and species groups simultaneously. The number of bats/km increased during April, May and June, peaking in July and tailed off after this period. The main peak in July is assumed to reflect the occurrence of newly volant young. An increase in the number of pipistrelle social calls during August and September probably represented mating activity. Bat activity correlated with temperature in both N. leisleri and Pipistrellus spp., although bat numbers were independent of temperature after the middle of June. There was significant variation in habitat use by pipistrelle bats along roads over the study period. Pipistrelle bats were observed in greater numbers in areas of tree-line, cut hedge (≤1 m high) and deciduous woodland, and increased further when these habitats bordered both sides of the road. Nyctalus leisleri was found in similar numbers in all habitat types and there was no seasonal variation in habitat use. The validity of this method for revealing seasonal variation in bat numbers and habitat use is discussed. Ambient climatic conditions may affect the number of bats recorded, while some species with long-range echolocation calls, such as N. leisleri, may defy analysis of habitat associations.

A comprehensive review of the major investigations on the biology and ecology of ticks of Africa reported in scientific journals in the decade 1980–1989 is undertaken. While there have been remarkable advances within the decade on research on feeding habits and patterns of ticks as well as diurnal and seasonal activities, many important areas of research were neglected. These include tick embryogenesis, development and survival under natural conditions, tick modelling, the phenomenon of host's natural resistance to tick infestation, pheromone and biochemical studies and field sampling of ticks. The review also shows that laboratory studies on tick biological systems are scanty in East Africa and the need for greater tick ecological research in West Africa is stressed.

The review shows that in the decade 1980–1989, exotic Bos taurus breeds were predominantly used for experimentation on African ticks and the need to change focus to indigenous B. indicus cattle breeds for experimentation is highlighted. Attention is also drawn to the importance of researchers on African ticks to undertake long term sustainable research with clearly defined goals which can have quantifiable impact on tick control in Africa.