Bats...Please help

mulhihillclan

Hi. Totally new to this and need help. We have bats living at the front of our house for 5 years now. There is a tiny gap at the top of our stonework work and you can see them leaving this area every night from May with larger numbers leaving around this time of year (June) The bats didn't really bother me until this year where there seems to be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. We do not have an attic only crawl space and the other evening I went up to get a closer look where the bats were flying out from (a window located right next to the gap in stone work) and I was horrified to hear all the noise and scratching sounds coming from just behind the plaster wall. I actually froze with fear at the thought of how close there are. I'm now at a point where I do not want to stay in the house. The last few nights bats have got into the house not from the crawl space areas but I think through the windows left open on the security lock...open as its so hot at night. I'm scared sh!tless of spiders as are my 3 small children so I'm terrified at the moment at the thoughts of a bat flying around my rooms. My questions: 1. When will the baby pups be ready to leave 2. once they are gone are we aloud to put a one way value on the site entrance to try and keep them out 3. Will this stop them returning ? Thanks

Zaph

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gizmo555

Unlike vermin such as rats, all species of bats are protected under Irish law. You should start by reading this:

http://www.batconservationireland.org/irish-bats/protection-law

and, as it suggests, contact your local wildlife ranger for advice.

Stigura

Short answer is; " Move. "

Bats are thoroughly protected. Ye can't just go messing with them because they give ye the creeps.

Speak to the NPWS. Read this first:

http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM25.pdf

Hah! Gizmo beat me to it. But, there we are. There Is no other answer.

endacl

Bats in your house? Lucky you. I'd love bats in my house.

Delightfully harmless and fascinating little creatures.

DBB

Hi op,
I know bats freak the hell out of people, but as has been said, they have serious legal protection, and probably scant consolation, they are utterly harmless to you and your home.
If you try to rationalise this, I can almost guarantee you have the same number of bats there now as you've had any other year... They weren't a huge problem then, so try not to let them be a huge problem now... The more bats ya got, the less bugs!
It's a nursery you've got there, momma bats raising their young. Most likely pipistrelles.
The good news is that they'll be finished raising their young by the end of the summer, and will leave then. At that stage, you can block up the hole they're getting in through, and any others you find, and they won't come back.
In which case, you might consider getting a bat box made for them and sticking it in a nearby tree
You can also buy screens for your windows to keep the flies and moths out whilst the windows are open... You keep them out, you keep the bats out.
You okay to stick this out til August/September?

magentis

They really are lovely creatures op.

mulhihillclan

DBB wrote: »

Hi op,
I know bats freak the hell out of people, but as has been said, they have serious legal protection, and probably scant consolation, they are utterly harmless to you and your home.
If you try to rationalise this, I can almost guarantee you have the same number of bats there now as you've had any other year... They weren't a huge problem then, so try not to let them be a huge problem now... The more bats ya got, the less bugs!
It's a nursery you've got there, momma bats raising their young. Most likely pipistrelles.
The good news is that they'll be finished raising their young by the end of the summer, and will leave then. At that stage, you can block up the hole they're getting in through, and any others you find, and they won't come back.
In which case, you might consider getting a bat box made for them and sticking it in a nearby tree
You can also buy screens for your windows to keep the flies and moths out whilst the windows are open... You keep them out, you keep the bats out.
You okay to stick this out til August/September?

Thanks so much for your reply. I can stick it out for a few more months til they are gone. Like I said they didn't really bother me until I heard them so close behind a wall and I actually froze with fear. I will look into getting a bat box as this seems only fair and in the mean time will get screens for the windows. Your reply was most helpful. Thank you

CJmasgrande

Not trying to be smart but I think people terrified of spiders and then bats really need to consider therapy.

You should leave the bats alone and learn to prevent them from accidentally getting into your living space.

DBB

CJmasgrande wrote: »

Not trying to be smart but I think people terrified of spiders and then bats really need to consider therapy.

You should leave the bats alone and learn to prevent them from accidentally getting into your living space.

Aw come on! People have their fears of things, and telling them their fears are silly does nothing to make the person feel better. A bit of understanding never went amiss, there's none of us perfect!
In any case, the op is doing the right thing by the bats, in spite of their own and their kids' fears. I think that's pretty damn cool

Cherry Blossom

We have them in the attic, I don't mind them though. I'm always thankful it's them I'm not allowed to interfere with rather than the mice that come in. I couldn't cope if I had to share the house with a load of mice . Bats are easily caught with a towel and let back out the window on the rare occasion one comes in. I have to get a big strong man to release the mice in case they 'get me' when being released and it seems to take forever to catch them in humane traps.

It's a fear I inherited from my mother and makes no sense as I had any number of small scampering species as pets over the years. Rats don't bother me so much but I've never had one of those in the house thankfully.

mulhihillclan

DBB wrote: »

Aw come on! People have their fears of things, and telling them their fears are silly does nothing to make the person feel better. A bit of understanding never went amiss, there's none of us perfect!
In any case, the op is doing the right thing by the bats, in spite of their own and their kids' fears. I think that's pretty damn cool

Thank you. I came here looking for advice/help on bats and you did indeed help me. I don't want to harm or hurt them. Being told I need therapy by someone is a little uncalled for and not nice. Thanks for having my back 😊

kathleen37

We're lucky enough to have bats at our house and I'm currently training to get a bat handler licence via the http://www.bats-ni.org.uk/

I'd really really suggest you speak to your local wildlife officer, or contact

http://www.batconservationireland.org/contact-us

Please do not attempt to block any access to a roost, as that is illegal.

I understand that people can be frightened of bats - I don't know if it will help but bats are not rodents and have more in common with dogs than rats for example. They are such beautiful little things, so pretty up close - you're really blessed to have a roost so close! And they are so helpful eating midges and mozzies!

Thank you for asking for advice, especially as you're not keen! Putting up bat boxes for them would be excellent - but you'd need advice on how many and locating them correctly from your local wildlife/bat conservation person.

aonb

another vote for you keeping the bats safe OP
When we lived in UK, we had them in our attic too, noisy but nothing more.
They do buzz off when the young are reared, so as someone already said, you can block up the holes that they are currently using then, to keep them out.
If you have a handy OH, you can buy screen netting in various diy shops, or buy in places like DEALZ a netting panel to put over a patio door for example, and cut that down, to make screens for your windows.
If you do find a bat in your house, take a pair of gardening gloves, and gently prise them off whatever they are clinging to (curtains/carpet), and place them outside.
Try not to freak - use it as a learning experience for your children - try not to pass on a fear of bats etc to the kids, its hard I know, but if you stay calm, the kids will too Get some books on bats in the library! If you have knowledge you are better prepared! If you do have the chance to pick one up, before putting them outside, have a good look at them - they are actually quite cute. Get the kids to look at them too - remove the phobia/fear factor!
I put up heaps of bat boxes in our trees in the garden - lovely to watch them swoop - such acrobats! - in the evenings catching bugs.

I do understand that people have phobias/fears, totally reactive and involuntary (my own daughter is phobic about spiders which really makes me wonder!!!) but sometimes we can stop things turning into phobias/fears by staying calm, looking at a thing from a scientific (!) point of view, and from a learning a new thing point of view... good luck OP!

kathleen37

Guys - please, please do not block up any holes into roosts. Apart from being illegal to tamper with a roost - the majority of bats in Ireland are resident here all year - they hibernate - so blocking up holes will end up killing them as not all bats have separate maternity/hibernation roosts.

Thanks

DBB

kathleen37 wrote: »

Guys - please, please do not block up any holes into roosts. Apart from being illegal to tamper with a roost - the majority of bats in Ireland are resident here all year - they hibernate - so blocking up holes will end up killing them as not all bats have separate maternity/hibernation roosts.

Thanks

The NPWS tell people to block off attic roosts in the winter months if they don't want the bats to return.

Edited to add, that said op... If you can get in touch with the local NPWS ranger do. They are pitifully understaffed, so whether anyone calls out to you is anyone's guess, but no harm dropping them a line anyway

kathleen37

DBB wrote: »

The NPWS tell people to block off attic roosts in the winter months if they don't want the bats to return.

Edited to add, that said op... If you can get in touch with the local NPWS ranger do. They are pitifully understaffed, so whether anyone calls out to you is anyone's guess, but no harm dropping them a line anyway

If you have details, I'll report to the Bats Conversation as that advice is wrong (unless given after a roost visit by a registered bat handler)

What is their view on the legality of blocking off roost access without a visit?[/QUOTE]

DBB

kathleen37 wrote: »

If you have details, I'll report to the Bats Conversation as that advice is wrong (unless given after a roost visit by a registered bat handler)

What is their view on the legality of blocking off roost access without a visit?

I have no idea what their view is.
I've contacted them on behalf of two different friends in exactly the same situation as the op. In both cases, without a site visit, they were told they could wait until the bats were giving before blocking up the access.
This was a few years ago.
The unfortunate truth is that if people really don't want the bats there, they're going to take matters into their own hands and possibly kill all bats in the attic roost. However, if they're given light at the end of the tunnel, and allowed "get rid" of the problem down the road whilst leaving this year's brood alone, then that's a compromise, made better if an alternative habitat is provided instead.

kathleen37

DBB wrote: »

However, if they're given light at the end of the tunnel, and allowed "get rid" of the problem down the road whilst leaving this year's brood alone, then that's a compromise, made better if an alternative habitat is provided instead.

I don't doubt what you're saying at all. Quite shocked if that's what you were told though. Perhaps guidelines have changed now?

I still think the best thing is to give the correct advice, rather than advice that could get people in trouble for breaking the law. (I know chances of being found out are slim, but still...)

Peace

DBB

I guess it depends on exactly how the wildlife legislation is interpreted. The Wildlife Act prohibits interference with the breeding place of protected species.
Without wanting to go into huge detail, some of legislation protecting certain species specifically defines the breeding place as only being such whilst the animals are using it for breeding. This means that the breeding habitat is open game outside the breeding season.
I'm not familiar enough with how the NPWS interprets the specific legislation, but it's quite possible that they've been ruled against in court cases when they brought prosecutions against people who had, for instance, blocked up the holes into attic spaces in winter time. I find it difficult to believe that a judge would allow a person's home to be held to ransom by a state body, particularly when the protected species using that person's home is only there for a few months of the year.
I don't know, I'm only surmising. In any case, the op has been advised to give the NPWS a call to see where they stand.

AryaStark

We have bats in the attic and sometimes find babies in the living room... They seem to fall between where the door to the attic is... the babies are so cute :-)
We collect the bat sh1t from on top of our flat roof at the back of the house and use it as fertiliser... I know to buy the stuff it is very expensive!