Battye About Bats!
They might be one of our particular favourites here at Jones Battye, but we understand not everyone feels the same way! In this blog, we discuss bats, some of Britain’s most misunderstood native creatures. Plus, their protection and how to avoid breaking the law when planning house renovations.
The traditional image of bats conjures up ideas of swooping shapes, bloody fangs, vampires and the terrifying thought that a bat would be silly enough to get caught up in your hair. Luckily however, none of the 12 species of bat currently breeding in Wales, will turn into Dracula or suck your blood!
In reality, bats have a unique relationship with humans and our homes, as they are very dependent on buildings for their survival. UK bats are small, between 3.3 and 8.2 cm long and divide into two generalised types. Crevice dwelling bat species, such as Pipistrelles, are the type most often found in domestic houses. They squeeze into tight spaces, such as the gaps between underfelt and tiles, behind barge boards or around window frames. In contrast, long-eared bats roost in roof voids, most often along the roof ridge.
Bats are not pests and it is vital to remember, particularly if planning any building works to your property, that all bats in the UK are European Protected Species. It is against the law to damage or destroy a bat’s breeding or resting place (their roost), or to deliberately capture, kill, injure or disturb a bat.
Bats are not rodents like rats or mice, but are clean, sociable animals. Their droppings do not smell unpleasant or carry infectious disease. They do not cause any damage to buildings by chewing or gnawing and they do not build nests, bring in bedding material or insects. Also, female bats have only one baby a year and therefore bats can never become an ‘infestation’. In addition, most bats are seasonal visitors and although they are very loyal to their roost and return time and again, they are not usually there all year round.
In fact, many of us are unaware that we already share our homes with bats and do so perfectly happily. Our own story is that we live with a colony of Brown Long-eared bats, who use our house as a winter maternity roost. Before we began alterations to our house, we were aware of the possibility that there may be bats in the area. A bat survey revealed that indeed there were brown long-eared bats in our attic. With the help of an ecological consultant, we drew up a bat mitigation plan to submit as part of the planning process and once planning permission had been granted, we applied for a European Protected Species licence to carry out work. The mitigation plan involved the careful timing of building works, having a licensed bat handler on site and the creation of a permanent bat loft in the house. There were other considerations too, such as the careful location of outside lights to avoid flight paths and ongoing monitoring visits.
All this might sound like a lot of hassle, but the additional time and costs associated with bats must be considered when budgeting for any building works. It is far more hassle if bats are found halfway through a project, as all work must then cease immediately. If you carry out work affecting bats or their roosts without the proper permissions you will be breaking the law. Offences can be punishable by imprisonment and unlimited fines.
Bats deserve our respect and our protection. We feel that because the bats were here first, they have as much right to our house as we do. They are also perfect house mates as we never hear them but they do a very good job of keeping the garden midges at bay. Did you know that a bat can eat up to 3000 midges in one night? It’s also great fun to sit in the garden during the summer evenings and watch them flit about and if you get hold of an bat detector, you can listen to them too!
For help and advice, try the Bat Conservation Trust on 0345 1300 228 or www.bats.org.uk
