Go to Forum Home › Landscape/habitat/ecology › Bats living in our rainscreen.

Viewing 5 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • 2 June 2009 at 10:04 am #31103
      Nick Grant
      Participant

        last night we counted about 30 bats emerging from top board of our timber cladding.

        I generally try and keep the boards tight so mice can't get in but the bats found a pencil thin gap as the boards dried. House has been up about 5 years and this is the first time we had heard or seen anything.

        So, great for wildlife but will they cause damage and if so what to do?? Build up is straw, Timberwrap breathable membrane and 2″ air gap before the boards.

        Nick

        (And no I don't know what species)

      • 2 June 2009 at 1:24 pm #36019
        Julia Bennett
        Participant

          Hi Nick

          How amazing. You may know some or all of the content already, but there is a very recent Good Refurbishment Guide on Bats and Refurbishment which you can download free from this address:

          http://www.brebookshop.com/details.jsp?id=325105

          You may not be able to do anything this season, but to make an alternative roost for next season, it shows some of the different bat house/ box types. You will need to identify the species.
          If you need advice, we use Ecology Solutions at Stow on The Wold:
          http://www.ecologysolutions.co.uk/index.htm

          Hope you can enjoy having them this season.
          Joolz

        • 3 June 2009 at 4:57 pm #36020
          Eco Design
          Participant

            You are truely blessed Nick, to have bats.

            We've had bats in our verge cappings for about 8 to 10 years, however there's nothing they can damage like your straw. At the time I contacted our local authority to find out what to do / not to do & they gave us free advice (never mind £10 for a leaflet from BRE).

          • 3 June 2009 at 8:03 pm #36021
            Nick Grant
            Participant

              Thanks all

              Will try Council ecologist and batwoman. last time she dropped by she nearly tripped over Sheila's bucket of wild flowers on the way out! Ones she had rescued of course but didn't look good. Sure they will advise on environmentally friendly bat poison (-:

            • 3 June 2009 at 11:02 pm #36022
              Mark Siddall
              Participant

                Could you build a little bat cave (or box) and lure them into living there instead?

                Mark

              • 4 June 2009 at 9:54 pm #36023
                Anonymous

                  (never mind £10 for a leaflet from BRE).

                  I thought ten pounds for six pages was a bit steep too!
                  Until I saw that it's £11.50 to download the PDF 😮

              • Author
                Posts
              Viewing 5 reply threads
              • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.