Bats

Posted by: Bananahead on 03 July 2015

It seems that our house in France has a large colony of bats living in the roof space. Last evening we counted 160 before we gave up counting. I'm not too bothered about them other than the noise they cause being just above bedrooms. Do they do any damage? Do their droppings cause harm?

Posted on: 04 July 2015 by joerand

I enjoy watching bats forage late on summer evenings. Very cool critters! Sad to report that over the 20+ years I've lived at my house their numbers, based on my casual observations, appear to have steadily declined. Seems to point to increased human development in my region. In the US there are multiple websites dedicated to the enhancement of bats and mitigating their interactions with homeowners. No doubt there are some similar websites where you live. The guano can be a potentially hazardous issue to you as a homeowner, so I'd encourage you to get on the web and seek the assistance of a local Chiropterologist for your specific situation.

Posted on: 04 July 2015 by tonym

We were fortunate enough to have a large colony of Pippistrelle bats living in our loft when I lived in Kent. You could hear them chirruping away behind a panel & in the evening they streamed out from a small hole in the eaves.

The amount of droppings was very small and as far as I know they caused no harm whatsoever.

Posted on: 04 July 2015 by J.N.

That's reminded me to give the delightful 'Diamond Mine' a spin.

John.