Home Invasions – a handy guide to bats in the attic

Bats have a bad reputation. Since Bram Stoker and the rise of Hammer Horror, bats have been pegged as the furry, airborne embodiment of evil. Meatloaf helped them out considerably in the 80s, but even that couldn’t repair the damage completely.
And this isn’t helped by the fact that the cute little blighters can become home invaders, finding their way into older homes and nesting in the attic space. That can become even more problematic if you had planned on an attic conversion for your home.

Driving you batty

Young bats can crawl from roosts into buildings easily, as they fit through the smallest gaps to get into the dark and cosy attic space. Don’t worry; bats aren’t like mice or rats. They won’t chew through wires or make nests out of insulation. They tend to stick to a diet of insects and other creepy crawlies.

You can tell quite easily if there are bats in your attic. They usually give themselves away by making noise, but you can tell when a survey is done. Look for droppings on the floor; this dries and eventually crumbles to a fine dust. If there are bats in the attic, this will delay your attic conversion, but it won’t prevent it from happening. It just requires  a few careful steps. Bats are a vulnerable and legally protected species due to their dwindling numbers, so you must seek help if you find bats roosting in your attic before you proceed with your conversion.

What to do if you find bats in your attic

Do not continue with your loft conversion. You must legally call your statutory nature conservation organisation. The Bat Conservation Trust has a handy guide to the organisations for each country in the United Kingdom. These organisations will be able to advise you on the next course of action without causing any injury or harm to the bats. The Bat Conservation Trust can offer free and comprehensive advice on all bat-related issues that you might come across.

A representative from Modern Attics can advise you on remedies to the situation and what the next step might be in the process of converting your attic space into a new room.  The Modern Attics team has years of experience in dealing with attic conversions – from the straightforward to the strange and curious – and we can offer knowledgeable advice on every step of the process.

For information about loft conversions or for some impartial advice on your loft in general, please contact the Modern Attics team today. We look forward to hearing from you.

 


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