Bat Conservation

Threats

Sadly, many bat species around the world are vulnerable or endangered due to factors ranging from loss and fragmentation of habitat, diminished food supply, destruction of roosts, disease and hunting or killing of bats. In the UK, bat populations have declined considerably over the last century.

Roost Protection

All bat roosts are protected by law (see below).  Many roosts are damaged during building works, sometimes seemingly minor repairs, such as re-pointing a ridge tile, may prevent bats from using a roost which they may have used for many years. If works are planned on buildings where roosts are known, please contact Natural England (see links) before proceeding.

Roost Creation

Carefully sited bat boxes can provide good roost sites. The bat group has for many years monitored bat boxes in the area.  These boxes provide roost sites for many different species of bats. The bat group monitors boxes annually.

Protection of winter hibernation sites

Bats are extremely vulnerable to disturbance during the winter when they are hibernating. Repeated human disturbance causes bats to use up valuable body resources and may result in them failing to survive the winter. Some structures used by bats in winter are in-accessible to humans but others have open access and are vulnerable to disturbance and vandalism. The bat group monitors bat hibernacula all over the county.