Windsocks Chimes
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Windsocks Chimes
Is pest contamination sending you batty?
Of all the pest contamination problems you can encounter, bats are among the most difficult to deal with. This is because these creatures are protected under strict wildlife and countryside laws which prohibit people intentionally killing, injuring or handling them. You could even land in hot water for simply taking a photograph of one of these animals – a steep fine of up to £1,000 per bat awaits anyone who is found guilty of any of these crimes.
Interestingly, bats' roosts are also covered under the same laws – and this can apply to areas of your home, such as lofts or cellars. According to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, a roost is defined as "any place that a wild bat uses for shelter or protection" – and the protection is in place whether bats are present at the time or not.
For this reason, pest control of bats must be approached with extreme caution. If you're unfortunate enough to suffer an infestation, your first port of call should be the Bat Conservation Trust, which will be able to offer help and advice on dealing with the issue. This may not be as simple as an expert coming out to remove the creatures, but could set you out on the path to finding the animals a new home away from your property.
As you'll probably have gathered from the above, the need to stop bats from entering your property is even more pertinent, given that getting rid of them won't be a simple job. Like most animals, bats are attracted to areas with abundant food, shelter and warmth. They prefer dark, enclosed and quiet places which reflect their natural cave habitat – meaning lofts and roof spaces are perfect. For this reason, it's important to eliminate all entry points to these parts of the house. Openings of more than 1.3cm can be infiltrated by bats, so these should be covered by steel wool, hardware cloth, screens, netting or silicone caulk.
Another option is to make the space less appealing to bat by adding noise and light to the space. Hand lights, windsocks and wind chimes are among the way you can create a busy atmosphere that's likely to scare away a bat. Of course, many of these things will also help you to ward off other creatures which fall under pest contamination cover – covering up holes will also help to keep rats and mice out of your property.
Ultimately, the old adage that prevention is better than cure is even more pertinent when it comes to bats compared to rats, mice or other pests – which is why it's a good idea to regularly review your property's suitability as the neighbourhood bat cave.
About the Author
Robert Weir is a writer and editor from Manchester, England. Having produced and revised copy for a number of home insurance institutions, he is highly experienced across a range of home insurance matters including boiler cover and pest cover topics.