Bats

[AndyP]

During the summer our shutters are never closed and provide a warm south facing daytime roost for pipistrelle bats who crawl up between the shutter and the wall. Behind 6 shutters there are 6 of them roosting at the moment.​

Impossible to take a better photo without disturbing them.​

This is the first time we have noticed them clinging to the shutter rather than the rough surface of the wall.

 

[AJB Temple]

That's great. We occasionally come across one in a hidden nook, but never as obvious as that.

 

[RogerS]

Cor! Tat's fabulous, Andy. We have bats in the cellar judging by the droppings but no sign of the bats during the day.

 

[AndyP]

Are sure they are bats Roger? The droppings are identical to mice.

 

[Lons]

We have them around the garden every night in summer, pipistrelles as far as I know which is what yours look like. I had a bat box up for several years but never occupied however last year I replaced a roof tile to find 2 of them under it, I tried not to disturb them and left a small gap so they could exit.
When my daughter was at high school she found one on the bus and brought it home in her pencil case. I put it on the house wall and was out in the dark catching and feeding moths to the thing. It never moved so I rang the RSPCA the following morning and the guy turned up with a cage and said he thought he was collecting a cat. left the bat which I moved to a shed wall and after feeding it a few more moths that evening it flew off with nary a thank you.

It's not legal to handle them but it would have died otherwise.

 

[RogerS]

Are sure they are bats Roger? The droppings are identical to mice.

Pretty sure. They are in the middle of the cellar floor which seems a strange place for mice

 

[9fingers]

@AndyP
Do bats enjoy protected status in France?
I’ve never understood quite why they have such extreme protection in uk almost greater than most other creatures. For example nearly every planning application requires a bat assessment to be carried out.
Ive nothing against bats btw

 

[AndyP]

@AndyP
Do bats enjoy protected status in France?
I’ve never understood quite why they have such extreme protection in uk almost greater than most other creatures. For example nearly every planning application requires a bat assessment to be carried out.
Ive nothing against bats btw

They are protected here too. They argument goes that each night they are capable of eating dozens, hundreds perhaps of mozzies, spiders, midgies etc so therefore are classed a biological pest control. For that reason alone I am more than happy for them to provide a safe haven for them

 

[Artiglio]

In general a dry bat dropping will crumble to dust with vey little pressure, mouse droppings are much denser and harder to crush, the difference is very obvious.

 

[AndyP]

Never picked any up to try the crumble test.

 

[9fingers]

They are protected here too. They argument goes that each night they are capable of eating dozens, hundreds perhaps of mozzies, spiders, midgies etc so therefore are classed a biological pest control. For that reason alone I am more than happy for them to provide a safe haven for them

Thanks Andy. Id not looked at it that way
Now we need a biological pest control for cats that would be human friendly