Unlike rodents, wasps and cluster flies, bats are not pests. As population numbers have fallen, all bats and their roosts are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended). Under these pieces of legislation it is illegal to:

  • deliberately capture (or take), injure or kill a bat;
  • intentionally, recklessly or deliberately disturb a bat. In relation to the The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) the offence applies whilst the species is occupying which it uses for shelter or protection; in relation to the Conservation of Habitats Regulations 2010 (as amended) it applies anywhere;
  • damage or destroy the breeding or resting place (roost) of a bat;
  • possess a bat (alive or dead), or any part of a bat;
  • intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a bat roost;
  • sell (or offer for sale) or exchange bats (alive or dead), or parts of bats.

Under the law, a roost is any structure or place used by bats for shelter or protection. Because bats tend to re-use the same roosts year after year, the roost is protected whether or not bats are present. In this context ‘damage’ could include treatment with chemicals found in wood preservatives.

For more information contact the Bat Conservation Trust.

Further Reading

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)

The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended)

Bat Conservation Trust

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