Bat Removal - How To Go About This

How you go about bat removal depends on where you live and whether they've got a roost in your home or if they've flown into one of your living spaces. Find out about the dos and don'ts, who to contact and whether it's true that they're a high disease risk.

What to do if you live in Britain, Bat removal in the U.S.A., Is the bat injured or a baby?

In the U.S.A., bats are protected by law so it's illegal to intentionally harm them. But you can take measures to remove and stop them from coming back into your house. The situation's a bit more complex in Britain...

WHAT TO DO ABOUT BAT REMOVAL IF YOU LIVE IN BRITAIN

Many bat species are under threat. There are several reasons for this such as habitat loss. Laws such as Britain's Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) aim to aid their conservation by protecting their roosts, wherever they are located, as well as the bats themselves.

Since it's illegal to disturb a bat roost, you'll need to contact your Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation to find out what removal action you can take.

Or if you live in England or Wales, you can arrange for a volunteer bat-worker to come round to your home by calling the National Bat Helpline on 0845 1300 228.

Letting them roost in your home can contribute a lot to their conservation, so if you were to discover that the bat species in Britain:

eat lots of insects every night
are very unlikely to carry the rabies-like virus , European Bat Lyssavirus
produce dry, crumbly droppings that don't smell so bad and aren't a health risk (yep, I admit it, I've smelt and crumbled guano but that's another story...)
won't be in your home for the whole year as they usually roost in houses during the summer and leave as the weather gets cooler
don't cause structural damage

would you maybe consider being a bat host?

They're also really clean and spend a lot of time on grooming, so you wouldn't have to worry about them being dirty.

AND IN THE U.S.A.?

Bat Conservation International recommends a product called Bat Cone on its website which you can use for humane bat removal from your attic and other places in your house. There are also a number of businesses that offer humane bat control.

Here's the link to the Bat Conservation International page with details of professional bat exclusion services:

Professional Bat Exclusion Services

Bats sometimes form maternity roosts in houses and if you find one in your home, please consider letting them stay.

They'll probably move on once autumn comes, if not before. Removing them while the babies are still young will almost certainly mean they won't survive.

If you're worried about rabies, take a look at the Bats and Rabies page.

IS THE BAT INJURED OR A BABY?

If you find a baby bat on the ground, the best thing to do is to return it to its roost, as long as it's still being used by the adult bats. (Remember to wear thick gloves if you do this).

If not, then follow the guidelines for isolating a bat on the Bats in the House page. And then get help by either calling your local vet or the National Bat Helpline if you live in Britain (0845 1300 228), to find out about local wildlife rehabilitators.

If you live in North America, call your local wildlife rehabilitation centre.

This page has the contact details for centres all over the United States:

Wildlife Rehabilitators

You'll find more information on bat problems on the following pages:

Bats In The House
Bats And Rabies
Return from Bat Removal to The Surprising World Of Bats

SBI!