Bats

[Deleted]

I don't know whether to consider myself lucky or not!

Some months ago I had an odd bat appear in my shed (joining the house). It decided to hang on my beekeeping gloves. Little piles of faeces were produced underneath. They looked just like mouse droppings. However, there is a very significant difference so I was informed by a bat person when rubbed between the fingers bat droppings are crumbly and disintegrate into powder whilst mouse droppings are greasy and remain intact.

Anyway, I noticed a pile of droppings on the shed floor two days ago and they were of the crumbly type. About 10.00 pm I had cause to go into the shed and hanging from the electric cable for the ceiling light were four little bats - Pippistrelles I think. They were not there the next morning and last night only one appeared.

Although I like bats and I am pleased they have arrived, what should I do, discourage them or leave them. If they decide to establish a permanent colony they cannot be moved because they are protected but I am not sure about discouraging them and how to do it.

Any ideas please?

[Deleted]

Hi TS!

You probably know this already but it is an offence to block up entrances to roosts, or to intentionally disturb a roost (whether active or not). Your local Bat Group or the Countryside Council for Wales can provide advice. If they are Common Pipistrelles then they are usually quite sympathetic to householders. Providing it is a breeding (May - September) rather than a permanent roost. If you have Greater Horseshoes on the other hand they get a bit pissy.

They don't do any damage to the fabric of your building like mice/rats and as you say their droppings just crumble to dust. Possibly the worst thing you could do is to leave a light on during the hours of darkness with your new light. Actually even installing a light may have ramifications.

I have involved with two bat issues this year during work related redevelopments. One commercial building involved the sealing off of a room for ever! Plus installing bespoke thermostatically controlled bat boxes etc. Total cost of fees and equipment £14,000+

We have both Greater and Lesser Horseshoes, Brown Long Eared and Common and Soprano Pipistrelles flying around here, but fortunately none in the loft

[sweetleaf]

Isnt Bat guano a fantastic fertilizer?Its what I heard anyway, (thats if its legal to collect it).
I see a lot of bats on the allotments at night if Im there late, I dont know where they roost though.
I think they are wonderful creatures, almost prehistoric in appearance, apart from their size.

[Deleted]

Hi Sweetleaf

Bat guano (how polite) is indeed a great fertiliser. However it would take several years for a pile worth using to build up from my few bats. You really need to get it from a location where there are several (many) thousand bats roosting like the caves in SE Asia shown on one of the David Attenboroughs programmes.

[Plocket]

Hia Toadspawn! I've just found your thread so I'm sorry I'm a bit late. Like you I think bats are great but wouldn't want a colony of them living in my house or garage. I'm certainly not an expert but I believe that pipistrels live in large colonies so it might be worthwhile you contacting your local bat society to find out what type of bat you have.