Bats in our home- please help

holmum

Bats in our house
we have moved into our new home, and three months in we appear to have bats. We found one in our bedroom (which is below the attic last week) and one this morning, a smaller one downstairs at the bottom of the stairs cant figure where he came from (my hubby removed him outside)

Now I know they are harmless but I am absolutely petrified and cant relax.I walk into a room in the house and have to scan it before I can do anything. I am dreading going to sleep 2night. If I leave the lights on will it stop them coming into the room?

We have a 3 children including a four month old and I now hear that there is a fear that bats are now carrying a virus. I am a woman on the edge.

I suspect if I call the ranger people they will just tell us to wait till oct, i dont think I will be able to wait that long. Im really upset about it.

What can we do to get rid. I know the are protected but I cannot enjoy my home with the situation we are in. We need to move them on.

doubter

Many species of bats in Ireland use domestic dwellings as roosts. This has led to some unnecessary fears and conflicts of the years. So firstly let’s deal with the facts.

Bats sometimes use the extremities of the roof spaces of houses as a roost during the Spring/Summer months. They especially like the areas between the slates and felt. They choose these areas because they require heat. During these months the females give birth to one live pup. Bats then begin to leave the roost from August on as they get ready to go into hibernation.
Bats do not create nests. They do not chew on wires. They have no desire to access any other part of the building.
Their droppings are disease free.
They are not like mice or rats. They have just one young a year. Only 50% of those young survive the winter

doubter

You are legally not allowed to move them on as they are protected.However, come august, they will move on by themselves- that you find them in the house is a very rare occurence.

gimmick

Out of interest, why are bats a protected species?

doubter

Bats are highly endangerd.
hreats to Bats’ Survival

Many European bats are under threat and some have even become extinct in certain countries. The reasons for this are mainly:

- loss of roosts
- loss of feeding areas
- increased use of pesticides in agriculture that that kill the insects that the bats depend on for food
- increased use of pesticides in building materials, that poison the bats that roost in treated buildings
- prejudices against bats and misunderstandings arising from an ignorance of bats.

Victor

gimmick wrote: »

Out of interest, why are bats a protected species?

They also are important for controlling insect populations.

aonb

When we lived in (very rural) England, we had bats in our house on a regular basis, and totally harmless. We would just put a gardening glove on and put them outside. This is not much good to you OP since you seem to have a major problem with the idea of bats in your house... As other posters said, these are very endangered animals - do you think you could overcome your fears, to just see them like less-attractive birds, and put a glove on and pop them outside? Or get your husband to do it when they come indoors? If you dont have them in your attic, they are coming in to the house through open windows. Keep the windows closed or put screens up (can buy the screen material in DIY shops) They have SUPER sensitive radar, so they wont bump into you or get entangled in your hair (why does everyone say this?!?!?), they WONT come near you or your babies/children. They are roosting during daylight hours - asleep - so are totally harmless and defenseless.

For Paws

holmum wrote: »

Bats in our house
we have moved into our new home, and three months in we appear to have bats. We found one in our bedroom (which is below the attic last week) and one this morning, a smaller one downstairs at the bottom of the stairs cant figure where he came from (my hubby removed him outside)

Now I know they are harmless but I am absolutely petrified and cant relax.I walk into a room in the house and have to scan it before I can do anything. I am dreading going to sleep 2night. If I leave the lights on will it stop them coming into the room?

We have a 3 children including a four month old and I now hear that there is a fear that bats are now carrying a virus. I am a woman on the edge.

I suspect if I call the ranger people they will just tell us to wait till oct, i dont think I will be able to wait that long. Im really upset about it.

What can we do to get rid. I know the are protected but I cannot enjoy my home with the situation we are in. We need to move them on.

Is your house an older building ?

Having bats (probably Pipistrelles) in your attic is one thing, having them in the house is quite another. They are probably entering the house from the attic space. Examine your ceilings for gaps, no matter how small, and plug them. Bats, particularly young ones, are v.small and can fit through tiny gaps. Buy some ready mixed wall filler from your local hardware and fill every gap.

Generally, each evening the bats will leave the attic & fly about feeding on flying insects. So in the evening ensure your doors and windows are closed.

Doing the above will help confine the bats to your attic.
In terms of the attic space itself, you might think about placing a cover over the top of your water tank. (Buy a pack of tongue & grooved timber attic flooring ; the individual pieces can be lifted into the attic easily and assembled up there).

Bats are tiny creatures & not harmful, but I understand your concern.
Come September / October they will leave your attic.
After that happens, block up their entrance point(s).

If you observe them in the evening from outside your house you'll see the area or point they enter / exit from.

Good luck.

Tranceypoo

Sorry OP, I don't have any advice for you but I wanted to sympathise, I have a terrible fear of things with wings, I'm fine outside but if they're in my house I freak out, a butterfly, moth anything, once in my old house there was a bat in my front room, this was a good few years ago but it still makes me shiver to think of it, luckily I had elderly relatives up the lane and my uncle came and caught it and set it free outside but I was completely frozen with fear, we checked the attic (I say we, I mean my elderly uncle yes I let an old man go up into my attic because I was too scared) but there were none up there and I never had another one in the house thank f**k. It's still a mystery as to how it got into the front room.

I can't even speak about the day the two birds got in.....

time lord

doubter wrote: »

You are legally not allowed to move them on as they are protected.However, come august, they will move on by themselves- that you find them in the house is a very rare occurence.

That is incorrect. Yes they, the bats are legally protected but their roost in ones attic is not legally protected. So many roads built by local authorities etc come across bats and their roosts. There is a wealth of knowledge from people involved in lots of counties with similar encounters. Contact the rangers from the national parks and wildlife service for one view on your problem op.

DBB

time lord wrote: »

That is incorrect. Yes they, the bats are legally protected but their roost in ones attic is not legally protected. So many roads built by local authorities etc come across bats and their roosts. There is a wealth of knowledge from people involved in lots of counties with similar encounters. Contact the rangers from the national parks and wildlife service for one view on your problem op.

Not sure about that time lord: their roosts are protected under EU law as well as Irish law:

"In view of their status across Europe, all species of bat have been listed on Annex IV of the EC ‘Habitats and Species Directive’ (see 2.1 Legislation) and some, such as the lesser horseshoe bat, are further listed on Annex II. The domestic legislation, which implements this directive, combined with the Wildlife Acts (1976 & 2000), ensures that individual bats and their breeding sites and resting places are fully protected, and this has important implications for those who own or manage sites where bats occur"

From National Parks and Wildlife Service publication "Bat Mitigation Guidelines for Ireland" http://www.npws.ie/publications/IWM25.pdf

DBB

aonb wrote: »

They have SUPER sensitive radar, so they wont bump into you or get entangled in your hair (why does everyone say this?!?!?),

Heh heh!
From David Attenborough's "Life Stories":
To set the scene, Attenborough and crew are trying to obtain footage of cave swiftlets, which live in caves with bats, which leave large mountains of guano on the cave floor from their overhead roosts. Attenborough, in almost complete darkness, describes what happened:

"Obediently, Maurice and I started to trudge upwards with our trousers sensibly tucked inside our socks. To start with, it wasn't too bad. The guano was crumbly, rather like soft, slightly sticky sand, but as we neared the top the ammonia rising from it became somewhat choking. "Say something!" yelled the director from the bottom. I cleared my throat. Hugh turned on our battery light, and immediately the bats just above us unpeeled from the ceiling and started to fly around us in a huge rustling circling cloud. I looked at the camera. "Many people", I said, "might be afraid that these bats would get tangled in one's hair. But bats have an amazing navigational system based on echo-location and there is no chance whatever of them doing that". I managed to raise a wan smile. Hugh turned off the battery light. And a bat hit me four-square in the face."

:D:D

time lord

DBB wrote: »

Not sure about that time lord: their roosts are protected under EU law as well as Irish law:

"In view of their status across Europe, all species of bat have been listed on Annex IV of the EC ‘Habitats and Species Directive’ (see 2.1 Legislation) and some, such as the lesser horseshoe bat, are further listed on Annex II. The domestic legislation, which implements this directive, combined with the Wildlife Acts (1976 & 2000), ensures that individual bats and their breeding sites and resting places are fully protected, and this has important implications for those who own or manage sites where bats occur"

From National Parks and Wildlife Service publication "Bat Mitigation Guidelines for Ireland" http://www.npws.ie/publications/IWM25.pdf

I will always bow to superior knowledge but we did an environment legislation course only this Monday and Tuesday with a 3rd level lecturer/solicitor who also practices their craft still in the courts;steered me to an answer. Anyway this exact topic came up in the course and the end of course test questions. Simply put the bats are safe but not their precise roost which is a lot smaller than their habitat in an area. But as in all Irish law it is so much to do with an outcome depends on which judge you get on the day.

KingIsabella

Had the same problem a few years ago....got a few pest control lads out who wanted nothing to do with it!

We had to find where they got in, and basically watch it around sunset for them to fly out, then block the hole. absolute pain in the ass for 2 or 3 months!! Noisy f*^kers!!

doubter

DBB wrote: »

Heh heh!
From David Attenborough's "Life Stories":
To set the scene, Attenborough and crew are trying to obtain footage of cave swiftlets, which live in caves with bats, which leave large mountains of guano on the cave floor from their overhead roosts. Attenborough, in almost complete darkness, describes what happened:

"Obediently, Maurice and I started to trudge upwards with our trousers sensibly tucked inside our socks. To start with, it wasn't too bad. The guano was crumbly, rather like soft, slightly sticky sand, but as we neared the top the ammonia rising from it became somewhat choking. "Say something!" yelled the director from the bottom. I cleared my throat. Hugh turned on our battery light, and immediately the bats just above us unpeeled from the ceiling and started to fly around us in a huge rustling circling cloud. I looked at the camera. "Many people", I said, "might be afraid that these bats would get tangled in one's hair. But bats have an amazing navigational system based on echo-location and there is no chance whatever of them doing that". I managed to raise a wan smile. Hugh turned off the battery light. And a bat hit me four-square in the face."

:D:D

THAT'S MEAN!! :D:D

PLEASE DON'T HURT THEM! I love bats...
Not only are they beautiful, but they're endangered, too. Honestly, if you don't disturb a bat, they won't go near you. I would advise you to just live and let live.
On the other hand, if they are really getting in your hair, call your regional SPCA and have them humanely removed. They will know what to do with the critters.

WhatItAllAbout

I have just bought a new house (not moved in yet), I have discovered the exact same problem except I don't think they are getting into the actual house itself. I would have no problem with them staying except that they are living behind our bedroom wall.
I was in the house late the last night and they were very noisy. So i am trying to find a solution to this issue as well as can't really having them staying if they are actually effecting our life in the house.
Advice i have got so far is to wait for them to leave in August and then block the hole.
I am still trying to get in contact with people in the know how though to see what are the options are. Wouldn't even mind maybe putting a house up for them outside the hole where they are coming in if that is available??
Also had a friend express interest in having them actually relocated to her house cause she has a real problem with midgets and bats in the area are great for solving this problem

WhatItAllAbout

holmum Have you any update on your current situation?

gctest50

They'll move away themselves in a month or so

- meanwhile you could take them for walk to tire them out a bit

thegreatiam

garlic and crosses.

also they cant come in unless you invite them. ;-)
--

WhatItAllAbout

lol thanks for the picture, but don't really think thats going to comfort holmum.

Its all well and good them moving away in a month or so but we are looking for a permanent environmentally friendly solution to the issue

Alun

You can certainly get external bat boxes but whether they'd use those in preference to the place they've been used to using for years I don't know. See here for some examples ...

http://www.nhbs.com/bat_boxes_eqcat_421.html

Actually looking at that site I see they also do special bricks and tiles for allowing controlled bat access. That reminded me of one of those property renovation type programs on the telly once where the people who were renovating an old house actually built an enclosed bat roost into their attic, and provided access to it via those special roof tiles designed for bat access. They even put little infrared cameras in there too so they could watch them

Contrary to what some people think or feel about them, Bats are actually quite harmless little creatures, and their usual habitats are gradually being eroded, so personally I'd feel really bad about turfing them out, so good on you for thinking about offering them alternative accommodation.

BTW some species like pipistrelles are amazingly small .. you could easily fit one in a matchbo, so filling up the hole, or even finding where they're coming in could be quite difficult. You'll have to try and observe then leaving their roost, usually at dusk, and go from there.

WhatItAllAbout

Very interesting thanks for the link, never realized there were so many property options out there for bats
I think I know exactly where they are getting in cause it also got all the droppings on the ground outside it.
I originally thought it was mice and that were climbing the wall but when i heard the noise i knew it had to be more than mice.
I actually haven't witnessed them yet i am just making educated guess here.
I would be hoping maybe the ranger I get in contact with would have some night vision thing we could setup to monitor for a week to see what happening.
I would be well up for maybe buying one and setting up in house like those people on the tv, be kinda cool I think

Wonder though what stops bees and birds from taking over when bats are gone? Bats hibernate in these as well maybe meaning they would be around all year round?

Alun

If they are bats you'll see them leaving the roost en masse at dusk, no need for night vision goggles.

Bat boxes are designed in such a way that birds can't get inside. They don't have holes like bird boxes, but have quite narrow slits underneath them with a board at the back that bats can climb up to get inside.

Once again, good on you for trying to give the little creatures a fighting chance. Try and get in touch with Bat Conservation Ireland, http://www.batconservationireland.org/ and they may be able to help. Also lots of good advice and information there for new 'bat owners'

WhatItAllAbout

Well I don't think its going to be like the bat cave with thousands flying out but I do think there is 3-4 there maybe.
Yeah have number of local ranger but not getting answer on phone. In fairness it is a voluntary organisation so it would be around their free time. Funnily I getting kinda excited about having them stay in some way. We did plan to get a dog maybe as first pet but this might work too

holmum

Well we have found where they are getting in, we have abt 15! Our house isnt old 12 years but they are getting in at the front where the stone front was not pointed properly with the roof.
We had inside checked and there is no where for them to come down, so they two that came in, came in via window, i was leaving them open a lot late at night (not anymore!).

I have calmed down some what! im not happy that they are there but i am going to have to wait till sep/oct time till they fly off before we block the hole as i know now is the wrong time of year.

Our window outside and the front of house is destroyed with droppings!

WhatItAllAbout

Well fair play to you for over coming your fears and the doing the right thing!
I hadn't really considered the droppings side of things, and the entrance they are getting in is right at the corner where the entrance to the house is so not sure now about putting up a bat house. Well I guess will see what happens when I get hold of the ranger and see what he thinks the options are. Thanks for the feedback people.

Gorbals

Hi All,
Similar story for myself - moved into our new build in January this year, and only last week heard a noise in the wall at one gable end of the house. Not a terribly loud noise, and only lasted 10/15 secs. Came across the noise in the same spot a couple of times since, and always during the day. Last night however, we heard the same noise in the opposite gable end wall. As our house is an attic conversion, we just have small alcove areas and I have checked there for droppings but nothing to see, and the only time the noise is heard seems to come from inside the wall.
Im really hoping it is a bat, and not anything four legged, but would hearing this noise during the day possibly rule out a bat??
As its a new build there are some exposed pipes outside still but I have checked for cracks and all seem sealed up fine. I did find a tiny hole in the facia this morning that may allow access for a bat. We have seen bats over the summer months flying around at dusk outside our back door, hence whats drawing me to this conclusion. Im going to observe the hole this evening.

holmum

Hey, if they are flying around your back door i would say its them alright. I hear the ones in our house from time to time, especially if its hot outside which it was yesterday. They could be in the cavity of your walls?
They will get in anywhere, where there is a gap of about the size of a 2euro coin.
Best thing to do, is after sunset go out and check the whole house, it may be that they are getting in different ways.
They access our house from two different points at the front.
Another thing to check is that your water tank is covered incase they are in your attic!
if it is bats you are in luck in one way as they will be getting ready to leave the house to hibernate for the winter. They should be all gone by end of oct. We notice a decline in the droppings at the front so we presume ours are gradually leaving at the moment, they should all be gone by mid oct/nov. Your are allowed to then close up the access point once they have left, if you miss any they will be back to the same spot next year and will try different areas of the house in order to access their old roost. hope this info helps.

Gorbals

Thanks Holmum - whatever it is definitely sounds like it is in the wall cavity. My guess is they are getting in through the hole in the facia and into the cavity from there. I'll certainly be out this evening to monitor!!!
My only concern is the noise through the daytime - would this suggest its something else other than a bat or will they make noise through the day also??
Im really hoping it is a bat, have a serious dislike for rats!!

WhatItAllAbout

I agree with everything holmum has said, your best way of knowing is going out this evening and just watching to see if they fly out.
You are allowed block hole once gone but I think you should still talk to your local ranger and apply for the permission to do this.
Cause technically I think its illegal do anything unless you have the permission. Not hard to get especially when it involves your home house.
Do let us know how you get on this evening