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Concerns about batsIf you find bats roosting in your property
and areconcerned about them, please contact the NPWSBat Helpline
for free advice. If necessary, localstaff will call to your house
to explain whatremedies are available and assist you in decidingon
a suitable course of action. We stronglyrecommend that you do not
take any action untilyou have received advice, as this could result
inan offence being committed.
A serious smell coming from the bat roost(usually in warm
weather):Remove build-up of droppings and placepolythene sheet
under roost to facilitate futureclean up.
Accumulated bat droppings on the outside of theproperty (e.g.
window sill):Install deflector board to
catch/re-directdroppings.
Bats are found in the living area of the house:Locate and block
the internal point(s) of entry ofthe bats from their roost area to
the living area ofthe house. In some cases, perhaps because ofthe
age or construction of the building, it may bemore effective to
limit the roosting areas of thebats. This could involve creating an
internal bathouse or blocking off parts of the attic/cellarspace.
NPWS should be contacted for advice inthese cases.
Remedial timber treatment required formaintenance, repair or
refurbishmentpurposes:Carry out the work at a time of year when
batsare least likely to be present. Use a product thatis not known
to be harmful to bats.
Insulation/re-roofing/repairs to gutters, soffitsetc.
required:Carry out the work at a time of year when batsare least
likely to be present. Ensure that roostentrances are not blocked or
altered.
Where repairs, refurbishment or developmentwithin or adjacent to
your property, such asa loft conversion or extension,
willunavoidably damage or destroy a batroost a license will be
required. Inthese circumstances, youshould still seek advice
fromNPWS, but we are likely torecommend that youemploy
aprofessionalecologicalconsultant to assistyou with
thelicensingprocess.
Bats and the lawBecause populations of most species havedeclined
in past decades, all bats have beenprotected by Irish law since
1976. They are alsoprotected by European law.
In summary, you may commit a criminal offenceif you:
Deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat Intentionally or
recklessly disturb a bat in its
roost Damage or destroy the breeding or resting
place of a bat Possess a bat (alive or dead), or any part of
a
bat Intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a
bat roost.
This is only a brief summary of the main points ofthe law, not a
complete statement. Furtherdetails of the Wildlife Acts and the
HabitatsDirective under which all Irish bats are protectedmay be
found on www.npws.ie. More informationabout bats and their
conservation is given in ourfree booklet Bat Mitigation
Guidelines.
All bat roost are protected even when the batsare not present.
However, building or repair workcan usually be planned to avoid
disturbing batsor damaging their roosts. That way no offence
islikely to be committed and you help with theconservation of these
threatened species.
If you want to carry out repairs, maintenanceor refurbishment of
your dwelling-houseand believe this might affect the bats ortheir
roost you are advised to modify
the way you carry out the work so asto avoid committing an
offence. Thismay involve carrying out the work ata particular time
of year, or usingparticular materials or methods ofworking. You
will need to take carethat the access points used by thebats are
not blocked and that theirroosting areas are not damaged asthis
would be an offence even if itwas not intentional. You are
stronglyadvised to contact the NPWS Bathelpline or your local NPWS
officefor free advice before you begin thework. For minor works
or
Living with batsHere are some ideas for ensuring happy
co-habitation with your bats:
Ensure that your water tank is covered. Place a polythene sheet
on the attic floor
where bat droppings regularly accumulateand gather up at the end
of the season. Batdroppings are dry and easily swept up. Theymake
great compost !
Ensure that the attic door is not left open toprevent bats
flying into the living space of thebuilding.
Bats will only enter your living space accidentally.Common
reasons are that bats mistake an openwindow for a roost entrance,
or follow an insectthrough an open window. In some instancesyoung
bats exploring their roost will squeezedown through cracks around
piping from an attic.
If you find a bat in your living area this is what todo:
Never chase or try to catch a bat while it isflying.
Close the door of the room in which the bat isseen and open any
windows, draw aside anycurtains and turn off the light. This may al
lowthe bat to escape itself.
Repairs, maintenance or refurbishment - avoid committing
offencesmaintenance, we may suggest that the localConservation
Ranger visits you in order toinspect the situation and advise on
how best toproceed without breaking the law. If the workcannot be
carried out without affecting the batsor their roost, you are
likely to need a derogationlicence. There is, however, no guarantee
that alicence will be granted.
Common situations and solutions include: Should the bat continue
to fly, wait until itcomes to rest (often in the pleats of
curtains)or becomes grounded (some species find itdifficult to
take-off again from the floor).
To avoid being nipped use gloves, a towel orcloth to remove the
bat and carry it outside.Place it high, at arms reach, on a wall or
tree.This should allow the bat to regain flight.
However, some bats take their time so keep awatch on the animal
for 10-15 minutes and if itfails to fly then recapture it, place it
in acardboard box with air-holes and contact yourlocal NPWS office
or Bat Group for furtheradvice.
An online video showing how to safely catch andrelease a bat
from your home can be watchedhere:
http://www.corkcountybatgroup.ie/page/injured-batsinjured-bats
Sopranopipistrelle
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