Controlling Bats, Gloucestershire
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all species of bat found in the United Kingdom.
It is illegal to kill, or even disturb, bats in their roosts.
If bats are present, and there is a possibility of them being disturbed, you should consult:
Bat Conservation Trust
They will offer advice and if required arrange for a person to visit the site and advise on the best course of action.
Bats may only be handled by those licensed to do so.
Having Problems With Bats?
Give us a call and we can liaise with the local Bat Conservation Trust to help you.
How do you know you have Bats?
Other than obviously seeing the bat first hand, there are a host of ways that you can try to identify a bat at your property or site. One way of tracking bats in a property is looking out for any droppings.
Bat Droppings
Similar in appearance to rodent droppings, bat droppings will be very dry and will crumble to dust under very little pressure. If you notice droppings, a quick crumble test (with gloves or a tissue) is a good way to get an indication of bat presence.
On extremely rare occasions there are health risks from allergic reactions, dust inhalation and gastro-intestinal infection, all of which can be avoided by following simple precautions (e.g.- wearing a dust mask and gloves when clearing droppings) and maintaining basic standards of hygiene.
Where to find Bats?
Look around before planning your work. Have you or the builders/surveyors seen bats or their signs in the loft space or elsewhere on the property? Inside roof spaces, they roost:
Along the ridge beam
Around the gable end
Near the chimney breast.
Access points for Bats?
Look around before planning your work. Have you or the builders/surveyors seen bats or their signs in the loft space or elsewhere on the property?
Bats & Surveyors
Bats can be found in all kinds of buildings, usually in the roof but also in other areas. All professional surveyors, particularly those involved in pest control, should be aware that any roof or building is a potential bat roost and should therefore check automatically for the presence of bat droppings or bats.
In a small roof, five minutes spent specifically on this check would find any established roost, but in a larger building about the same time should be spent on each roof section. The search can then be continued at the same time as other work, as most of the areas where bat droppings may be found are those that will be examined for signs of rot or insect attack.
A suggested search technique for houses is:
Ask the occupier whether they are aware that they have bats or if bats have ever been found in the house.
Check for the presence of bats by listening for their 'chittering' noises in warm weather and by shining a light along the ridge beams and over brickwork. However, it must be stressed that bats are rarely seen during the day.
Examine the floor for droppings, concentrating on the area beneath the ridge, the junction between two ridges, down hips and over bays, around chimneys and gables and all around the eaves. Much of this can be done during the course of a normal survey.
If evidence of bats is found in a dwelling-house and any action is proposed which would affect bats or their roosts, then English Nature must be informed and allowed time to advise on any special precautions that may be necessary.
Such actions would include renovation, demolition, re-roofing, conversion or any application of pesticides such as for cluster-fly control or remedial timber treatment.
Avoiding the unnecessary killing of bats or destruction of their roosts can best be achieved through early consultation, preferably at the survey stage, but in urgent cases advice can often be provided by telephone.
Churches and other large non-domestic buildings may require a different technique, but the same principles apply. Ask staff about bats and check for droppings on walls, floors, pews, altar cloths etc.
If signs of bats are found, consult DEFRA about possible licensing requirements.
Our Talented Experts
We only employ skilled, experienced and knowledgeable pest controllers to control bats and other pests from your domestic or commercial premises.
Every expert is fully licensed and insured to provide exceptional treatments every time, and each have gained a certificate following the successful completion of Killgerm pest control courses. You can, therefore, trust that our pest controllers will have the expertise to provide the best treatment option for your property’s needs.
Are you looking for a bat control service?
Please do not hesitate to give us a call here at Gooch Pest Control Services on 01242 528 564, and we are also happy to provide an emergency treatment service out-of-hours upon request.