Who lives with Bats?

[Alex_225]

We moved to a new house back in October last year, it's fairly modern built in 1996 and was a bit of a dream home given what it offers and where.

Had all the usual surveys and searches done, nothing particularly alarming on there but some work needed but mostly cosmetic. Now on the survey, it stated clear as day, 'No evidence of bats'. Move in, unpack load of stuff to go in the loft and all the lagging and boarded area is covered in droppings. Assuming they're rodents not bats due to the survey I get a chap in to look at it but he explains they're bat droppings and of course I'm not allowed to do anything about it.

I had a few bits of work needed with the facias and soffits before I realised they were bat droppings, along with putting a load of boxes up in the loft and having cleared up their mess. Well I popped my head in the loft to have a look the other week and new droppings there, today I had another peak to actually see the bats up there - 3 that I could spot.

So, it looks like I have new members of the family! haha

I just wondered, does anyone else have a house with bats? Have you had any issues having work done or a loft conversion etc?

It's funny as I moved from a quiet sub-urban area to a very rural one. Not only do we have tonnes of birds around the house, we have at least one hedgehog in the garden and residents in the loft.

[Alex_225]

I'm not actually planning any work, the reason we bought the house is the space so no plans to extend upwards but one day the roof would need replacing. I understand doing so is legal but there are considerations. I believe you have to apply for some kind of consultant or survey of their environment etc.

Ultimately, it seems they're not that much of a nuisance other than leaving dusty poop on the boxes I've put in the loft.

[Alex_225]

randlemarcus said:

I might be pressing the surveyor for the photographs from the clean loft. And asking if anyone knows how to date the bats occupation. The whole thing smacks of a deliberate act of hiding the fact, but whether you could prove it, and ask the seller to fork out , is a piece of string question.

I had wondered at the time. Personally I don't think the surveyor probably even looked in the loft. I'd got to know the seller and he was going through a divorce, just wanted shot of the house, to the point he pointed things out on the property to knock money off the price as his ex was a nightmare and he just wanted the house gone.

Trouble is, I saw the evidence within a couple of months of moving in but didn't know how current it was. So cleaned up and then waited to see if it came back. It did but we're 9-10 months in so I'd imagine hard to prove it was there before I moved in.

Jimjimhim said:

Robin?

Unavailable for questioning at the time of posting! haha

[Alex_225]

GiantEnemyCrab said:

I wonder how many bat problems that could cost the owners £££ just quietly get sorted with a long broom handle or bat annoyed device.

Not that it's right, but if it's going to cost Joe Bloggs 10k, or commit a crime no one will ever see or know about..... But still wrong.

I do wonder the same. I mean ultimately I've not reported it formally to anyone and could in ignorance shoo the things away.

I also wonder how many people have them in their lofts and if they don't see evidence of them have zero idea they have them. I know my mum has spotted them flying around near her house (120 miles from ours!) and hasn't been up in the loft in her house in 20+ years.

Riley Blue said:

I was in the loft two houses back when something whooshed past my head, scaring the sh*t out of me at the time. Once I saw what it was, a single bat, I stood and watched it for 20 minutes or so, mesmerised at the way it flew around me and in and between the timbers; a very skilful flyer.

I don't know what happened to it or whether it was joined by more. I sold the house several years later; no idea if it was still 'batty'.

They are fascinating. I watched these ones today from the loft ladder and what amazed me was how they're completely silent. No wing noise like you get from birds flying around!

Sideways Tim said:

Me apparently! See my Bat, man! thread of earlier today.

I've since spoken to a certified bat expert, who says in my case, catch it in a tea towel and release it after dusk tonight. Hopefully mine is just a lonesome idiot who got in by mistake and doesn't have a million mates hiding in the loft!

I did, that's what inspired me to post. As you say if you find one, you're meant to carefully box it up with water available then release it early evening.

You may have some around, seems they can come in an open window more likely at dusk.

Speaking with the pest guy that came out last year, he said the droppings aren't harmful they're just messy and dusty. He actually said you're better off with bats over mice, rats or birds as bats aren't destructive in any way, just leave a mess.

My plan is to perhaps put a tarp up in the loft at some point later in the year to cover the boarded area where we have some stuff.

[Alex_225]

PositronicRay said:

How long do you anticipate the roof lasting?

I'm no expert so really couldn't say. That said, there's no missing tiles or daylight to be see from inside and no leaks so no reason to assume it needs any attention just now.

Sideways Tim said:

I love watching them fly around the garden of an evening. This is the first time we've ever had one or evidence thereof indoors though.
The room he/she/they/them/fking pronouns is in only ever has the windows open of a summer, so they've been firmly shut so far this year. As I said in my thread there's a flue for the wood burner but how it got down there and out of the firebox I do not know.

I think they prefer BA/AT as their pronouns hahaha

Definitely an odd one how yours got in. Apparently they can fit through a gap the width of a thumb so not an easy job to make a house completely bat proof it seems.

Blib said:

AIUI bats are very well protected.

My neighbours had a breeding colony in their cottage's roof two years ago. Over 100 were counted. Our friends were not allowed to disturb them until the breeding season was over.

The noise and stench from the colony was so bad that the neighbours abandoned the bedroom adjacent to the roost for months.

As so as the bats had departed they blocked all entrances to the roof space. However, as the authorities had been alerted, they were obliged to provide a suitably capacious bat box nearby in the event of the bats' return.

Yeah bat boxes seem to be the alternative if you do try and move them on. I suppose it's not the end of the world. 100 or so bats is a lot though, thankfully there's 3 in our loft.

[Alex_225]

Reassuring to hear others have them and don't seem to cause any bother.

ATG said:

If you want to get building work done that might disturb them, yes, there are a couple of hoops to jump through, but they're no big deal and rather simpler than trying to re-home them. You'll need a bat survey to find out what you've got and you'll need to do the work at a time of year that won't disturb them.

That's what I was reading about. Having a survey of them done and the work being timed specifically.

[Alex_225]

eein said:

We put up bat boxes and get some visiting now and again. I wanted to clean them out and re-attach as they rattle, so contracted the local bat society for advice. They were incredibly helpful on what the rules are, what's reasonable, how to know when they are not there and what to do. And they want to come round when they are next in residence to check their poo and do some detecting to verify the type. This was both very helpful and means I have something in writing that I can point at as expert advice if anyone complains about anything I do with the boxes.

Certainly from the site I was reading, it seems they're very keen and very willing to help the bats obviously but also those who are housing them.

We have Grey long-eared bats it would seem, managed to get a photo of one hanging from the roof. Unless he's a normal bat that's blessed with giant ears, the King Charles of bats perhaps haha.

[Alex_225]

Japveesix said:

Nice thread to read. Being PH I did expect a few more posts along the lines of "stick some glue traps up and don't tell anyone" or similar as sometimes people on here can be quite inflexible when it comes to wildlife

It has actually been a very nice thread to read. Admittedly bats aren't vermin in the way mice or rats are and aren't destructive so everyone seems a bit more tolerant of them.

I'm also impressed there's been no mother in law jokes either!

2 GKC said:

I’m somewhat surprised they have the level of protection they do because they seem to be very common and pretty much everywhere

They do seem extremely common, certainly according to this thread but I do wonder how many have them and have no idea. As I mentioned at my mums house she sees them flitting about and wouldn't have been in the loft in her house for years.

As someone further up mentioned, it makes you wonder how many people refrain from telling anyone official due to potential restrictions or hassle. Therefore could be way more than expected.

Error_404_Username_not_found said:

We now have two foundlings to try to rear. Mrs 404 found a female baby in the middle of the night when she got up to wee.
It's too early to tell if they will make it, but it won't be for want of trying.
They were pretty perky at 5 o'clock when I fed them.

Love reading your posts mate, interesting to see and hope the new one is well. Alex is a good name if you're wondering hahaha

[Alex_225]

The Don of Croy said:

eventually - the ceilings sagged under the weight of droppings

Jeez that is a lot of sh!t!!

Thankfully my loft only appears to have 4 bats from what I could tell but they do like to make a mess.

Does anyone in this thread use their loft for storage? Do you just cover up the stuff you have up there? I was thinking of a tarp attached to the rafters up there and making a canopy. Thankfully everything is boxed in the main part.

[Alex_225]

Definitely interested, share some pics. Good knews on the two you found, keep us updated.