I have a bat in my loft!

[humdrum_hostage]

There is a bat in my loft doing his business all over our
Stuff! we are in a semi detached bungalow and the neighbour has had a bat in her loft for a while as we both have cluster flies from the fields so I don't know where it is coming in, my side or her's but I need to stop it getting back in.

What can I do to catch it and get it out?

I have been told they are a protected species. Is this true?

I don't want to kill it, just remove it.

Chris

 

[scarfell]

Its illegal to interfere with bats in any way (includes catching, moving, diturbing or interfering with their roost, even if its your property), they are all protected; get dust sheets to cover your stuff and consider yourself lucky to have a rare guest

 

[Mesquite]

I have been told they are a protected species. Is this true?

Very true that they're protected species and you're not allowed to disturb them in any way shape or form without a licence

Some info here might be a help

 

[Drain Bamaged]

It is often easier to see light escaping rather than where light is getting in…..with this in mind, if you can flood your attic/false roof with light and then walk around outside it in the dark you can generally see where the holes/gaps/entrances are that the bats may be using. To give some idea, the entrances to the Bat boxes I put up in my woods have a ‘letter-box’ shaped slot underneath that is approx. ¾” X 3” so the gap you ‘may’ be looking for is likely to be small rather than a set of double doors with a sign hung over it saying ‘Bats Welcome Here’…..Most deterrents available simply will not work and as has been mentioned you can fall foul of the law by even trying to prevent them, it may be worthwhile contacting your council and asking what the procedure is, or if there is even a procedure in place…

D.B.

 

[santaman2000]

We had one in the steeple at our Church a few years ago. The priest baptized him and now he only comes back on Christmas and Easter.

 

[Toddy]

Your local Council offices are probably your best place to ask. There is a programme that trains people to safely handle bats, and the Council will have someone on staff….or at least give contact details for the nearest Ranger service who can advise.

If it's not roosting, just visiting for dinner, then it will most likely head off elsewhere if you do something simple like put a light on at night.
I don't that comes under disturbance of a single bat, iimmc ?

I wouldn't try to catch or handle it yourself; they do bite, and they do carry diseases. They are not normally aggressive and will avoid contact with humans.

Your local Bat conservation group is
ww.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/suffolkbatgroup
and they might have some good advice to offer. They must realise that not every householder considers it fortunate to have flittermice skittering around the loft.

So long as they eat the moths I'm happy

I believe the key word is 'roosting'. If they're not roosting then you can bat proof the loft. If they are

Best of luck with it.

M

 

[scarfell]

If there are droppings, then it is roosting


I'll say again, disturbing a roost is illegal - that includes flooding the area with light and blocking up holes; suggesting and encouraging illegal actions isnt really on, let alone actions against protected species


They are protected for a reason, it might be a bit of a pain, but its a wonderful thing that they have chosen your loft; just cover your belogings with a sheet so they dont get dirty

 

[Toddy]

You are quite right; suggesting or encouraging illegal actions isn't on.

However, I believe that the loft is still considered habitable space in a home, as in one uses it for stuff that one needs to access, and usually one puts the light on to do so.
It's not as though your loft is suddenly wildlife central for a colony, it seems to be only one bat (unusual ? no? )
http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/living_with_bats.html

The loft is not an ideal place for a bat, regardless of the rights or wrongs of it all. Most housebuilding timbers are proofed with stuff nowadays, I know mine have been sprayed agin wasps building bykes up there over the years. I have to be careful not to touch the beams or I break out in rashes, heaven knows what it'd do to a bat!

Every situation is different. Contact the Ranger service, ask about a couple of batboxes to put up in nearby trees. Maybe it'd prefer to be there.

M

 

[Leshy]

We had one in the steeple at our Church a few years ago. The priest baptized him and now he only comes back on Christmas and Easter.

😁 that got me giggling like a fool 😁

 

[Dave]

Off topic. Just seen a mouse in the house. They tend to come in when it gets colder, caught and released about 13 with those see saw humane balance traps a few years back. Then got so sick of driving to the woods to release then, just put out the normal traps. Cute little things really. They're woodmice.

 

[santaman2000]

......So long as they eat the moths I'm happy ......

I like that they eat mosquitoes.

 

[scarfell]

You are quite right; suggesting or encouraging illegal actions isn't on.

However, I believe that the loft is still considered habitable space in a home, as in one uses it for stuff that one needs to access, and usually one puts the light on to do so.
It's not as though your loft is suddenly wildlife central for a colony, it seems to be only one bat (unusual ? no? )
http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/living_with_bats.html

The loft is not an ideal place for a bat, regardless of the rights or wrongs of it all. Most housebuilding timbers are proofed with stuff nowadays, I know mine have been sprayed agin wasps building bykes up there over the years. I have to be careful not to touch the beams or I break out in rashes, heaven knows what it'd do to a bat!

Every situation is different. Contact the Ranger service, ask about a couple of batboxes to put up in nearby trees. Maybe it'd prefer to be there.

M

For sure, this is entirly down to the OP's conscience, incidentally switching a light on isnt the same as deliberately flooding with light in order to block an entrance

Legal issues aside, because as you rightly say, arguments can be made, it really comes down to what is right, and what will benefit our fragile wildlife, should that be a concern to the OP


Certainly nothing wrong with providing a bat box and hoping it suits the bat better

 

[mrcharly]

If it is roosting somewhere in the loft, would it be ok to identify where it is entering and 'curtain off' an area of the loft around the entrance hole so the bat can still enter/roost but isn't freely flying around and pooping on stored belongings?

 

[scarfell]

I'm not sure any interference is a good idea, specialists would be able to advise better on that; tbh it would be simpler to cover your belongings than create a bat safe divider; dont want it to end up trapped on the wrong side for eg

 

[humdrum_hostage]

Don't get me wrong, I think bats are great. I just like my belongings clean and the bats outside. Everything has been covered for about a week now so I will check next time I am up there and see if anything has been defecated on.

 

[scarfell]

For sure, its understandable, my point was only about the technical aspect of creating an escape proof divider, one where the bat couldnt get past and potentially get stuck

Tbh i think you need specialist advice on how to approach this, i dont know how restrictive the regulations are, for instance dividing the room will alter the air flow and possibly tempreture, how does that fit into the idea of not disturbing a roost? I have no clue, maybe it doesnt

 

[Robson Valley]

Build a bat house, on the outside of your house. Close off your attic (who is to know? Say nothing.)
A very light packing with steel wool in the entrance does the job, same for mouse holes. They won't pull it out.

The Government of Alberta, Fish & Wildlife Branch, set out very nice bat house plans on their internet website.
Location? High up on an outside wall on the hottest side (southwest) of my house.
Another 'round-to-it plan.

 

[Mesquite]

Build a bat house, on the outside of your house. Close off your attic (who is to know? Say nothing.)

So you're quite happy to encourage a forum member to carry out an illegal act which will disturb a protected animal?

 

[Robson Valley]

Is it illegal as well to do habitat enhancement?
If as you say they're protected, then well left alone.

 

[Mesquite]

Is it illegal as well to do habitat enhancement?
If as you say they're protected, then well left alone.

I'm amazed you didn't realise that from the numerous posts and links on the thread which clearly state that bats are a protected species in the UK