Bats like warm, dark places, so your loft could be ideal! If you do happen to find bats in your house, be aware that bats and their roosts are protected by law.
Bat roosts
Bats tend to return to the same roosts each year, so their roosts are protected whether bats are present or not. As such, it's illegal to kill, injure or take a wild bat, or intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to a bat roost.
Bats and building work
Having bats in your roof doesn't mean building work, timber treatment or the laying of insulation cannot take place but you'll need to contact the local Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO) for a free advice visit before you proceed.
If you have found a bat in need of help contact The Bat Conservation Trust on 0845 130 0228.
Before you decide that you want bats out, consider the following:
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Their natural habitats are being destroyed
With the clearing of woodland, the numbers of most bat species have declined. In response to this they have adapted to living in buildings and now rely so heavily on these for roosting that their conservation depends largely on our tolerance and goodwill.
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Bats aren't messy
Bats do not build nests and therefore do not bring bedding material into the roost; neither do they bring their insect prey into the roost.
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They eat insects
All bats in the UK eat insects, so they're a great form of natural pest control!
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Bat poo is safe
Though they can be unsightly, bat droppings are dry and do not putrify, they just crumble away to dust. In Britain there is no known health risk associated with them. In the loft, the simplest and cheapest method of avoiding bat poo problems is to cover stored goods with dust-sheets, which can be brushed off every now and then.
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They cause no damage
Bats are not rodents, and will not nibble or gnaw at wood, wires or insulation.
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They're seasonal visitors
Most bats are seasonal visitors to roosts in houses – they're unlikely to live in that roost all year round, although they are loyal to their roosts and so usually return year after year.
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