AnnieP Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Following on from another thread where you lot petrified me with horror tales of builders, I thought this might amuse..... After waiting for 2 years for our extension to be planned, passed and the builders to get started, they arrived this morning at 8. Brilliant! Set up their office and portaloo on our yard and set to demolishing our lean to. Action! 2 hours in, i.e. 10.am. they had to down tools and go home...why? Because we've got bats in the lean to loft, and they're a protected species, so its a no go, until the Bat Protection League have visited to assess what to do. OH says he always knew I was a witch..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Annie - I'm afraid to say, this is just the start I love bats but there are times when you wish they lived somewhere else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 My daughters primary school had bats a couple of years ago. She thought it was hilarious, bats flying around the classroom, screaming kids and a teacher who wasn't much better, being terrified of flying creatures in close proximity. Caused mayhem for a few days because they needed a specialist team in to relocate them I love bats, we have loads in our local woods and at this time of year they do twilight bat walks to see them. I might feel a bit differently if they were in my house though Good luck with the builders. Hopefully Jason & Co can get back on the job very soon. Fingers crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 oohh Annie, what a shame, after all that waiting and planning too. I guess it comes with the territory of building doesn't it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 We had bats in the last house we lived in they nested in the eaves, but once they had mated and given birth they left.........I was led to believe that more often than not once they have given birth they tend to leave the nest, and find somewhere else, ours never returned........... Lets hope they have had their babies and are about to depart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Hi Annie Bats in your Belfry ??? You should try being married to a builder......nothing ever gets done Good luck, & if you need builder type technical advise, just ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Arrr, yes...I married a painter and decorator (until he became a teacher 3 yeas ago) but looking at the state of our walls you'd never know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 I have bats too. They move around the house depending on the breeding season and the weather. They always overwinter under the tiles at the front and if it is very warm in the summer they live in the loft space above my bedroom if its not so sunny they live under the metal at the apex of the roof which is where they are at the mo I was having kittens when I had part of the house knocked down in case any were in there but it was bat free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soufflé Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 oh heck - we've just put in for planning permission again (the last lot was refused because it made the house symetrical!!!) and I do hope we haven't got bats because I can often hear lots of scrabbling about under the eaves but I thought it was the entire starling population in our village. Perhaps I'd better have a look (or better still send OH up there). Actually no, I'll do it myself as he's in the building trade too and..................nothing ever gets done round here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Be careful sue. If you have bats you are not allowed to disturb them unless you are licensed. Just shining a torch is classed as disturbing them If you listen carefully you can hear them squeaking (like mice) during the day or alternatively do a dusk survey by walking around the house at dusk and watching for them. They all pile out at the same time so for several minutes you will see a stream of them coming out. You have to keep walking round until you spy them unless you know where their entrance is Or you can get a bat detector (about £40) and wander with that to pick up their ultrasound when they are flying. If you are a glutton you can do a sunrise survey by watching for them coming back in the morning which isn't too painful at the moment but to watch for them mating you have to do this in June when sunrise is about 4.30am Yawn - yes I do this sad I know but it is amazing to see them swarming and mating sat on my bedroom windowsill watching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soufflé Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Thanks for tips. Have watched and seen nothing. Also haven't heard anything, so whatever it was seems to have gone (haven't seen any starlings for last few days either). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
