Bats in your house

Congratulations! Having bats choose your property as their home means you are making a valuable contribution to the natural environment of Jersey. Bats are key species in an ecosystem, and act as natural pest controllers — a single pipistrelle bat can eat up to 3000 midges in one night! They are fascinating creatures who inhabit a sensory world quite unlike our own, using a system known as echolocation to navigate and hunt, and they are the only mammals who can truly fly, with a membranous wing stretched over their arms and hands.

Pipistrelle by Hugh Clark
Pipistrelle by Hugh Clark

Different species of bats use different parts of a property — some also commonly roost in trees. For example, the long eared bat likes roof cavities, whereas the pipistrelle bat will squeeze into tiny crevices such as those under fascia boards or tiles.

Bats are harmless lodgers, they do not chew or bring bedding material into a roost, and unless you have a really big roost, will not smell or be audible. Many people are unaware they have these little visitors.

Signs you might have bats can include:

  • tiny droppings on window ledges or stuck on the side of walls
  • bats seen emerging from gaps in the property such as from under ridge tiles, or from under fascia boards
  • clear, cobweb-free gaps under fascia boards.

Bats generally emerge from a roost around sunset although some species wait until it is almost completely dark. Try not to shine lights on a possible exit hole as this may disturb them.

If you think you have bats, please get in touch with us, as we will be able to visit your property and provide advice on what species they are and which part of your property they are using. We would love to hear from you so we can add to our database to help us conserve the island’s bats. Please email us on enquiries@jerseybatgroup.org

Bats are legally protected in Jersey and as such it is an offence to disturb a bat or bat roost. Having bats does not mean you will be unable to undertake works on your property but the bats do have to be taken into account. The Jersey Bat Group is happy to advise on any queries you may have.