Bats in roofspace

[2dandan]

I think I might have reasonably large bats in part of my roofspace. This area is unaccessible so I cannot physically check it.

Should they be removed or left there. I am concerned about build up of guana if left.

Are they seasonal and do they migrate or do I try and block their access point after they leave at night.

[Big Boy]

I can't answer your questions, but why do you think bats? We've had a few episodes with rats recently, which is quite a common problem in Thailand.

[2dandan]

Unusually, sat out on the pool terrace until after dark last night. As we sat we were skiffed by about 7/8 birds which flew close to our heads. They were intermittent and spaced over about 30 mins. We carried out a watch and it appears as though they were coming from below some ridge tiles.

[PeteC]

I read some time ago that all bats (139 different species) in Thailand are considered protected wildlife and there is a ban on hunting them.

How this law pertains to ridding your house of them is unknown?

[Nereus]

I read some time ago that all bats (139 different species) in Thailand are considered protected wildlife and there is a ban on hunting them.

Well that's what it it says here:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=41113

“Besides the concern about the disease in bats, this woman could be guilty of breaking the Preservation and Protection and Wildlife Act, B.E. 2019, because bats are protected animals,” he added.

[HHTel]

That Act as far as I can see states the categories of protected wildlife :

The Act created five categories of wildlife: preserved wildlife, protected wildlife, controlled wildlife, dangerous wildlife, and wildlife carcasses.

However it doesn't mention any particular animal and certainly no mention of bats.
I guess somewhere there's a list of what animals fall into what categories.

https://leap.unep.org/countries/th/nati ... s%20in%20a

[PeteC]

One of the reasons there's a ban on hunting is that SEAsian countries wouldn't have a rice crop without them. Apparently they eat so many insects harmful to agricultural crops each night that a significant decrease in their numbers would be catastrophic. A lot on google explaining it all.

I think that's not hard to understand when you see them coming out of caves in 30 minute or longer streams each night. Millions of them.

[Big Boy]

Apart from your hunch, is there any real evidence that the bats are coming from inside your roof? I could stand in my soi on any night and have very frequent fly pasts of bats. I've never considered they are living in my or a neighbour's roof space. Bats are known to travel a lot of miles from their colonies to hunt their prey.

Having said that, I've been inside bat caves, and their guana is very slippery/smelly. I wouldn't want that in my roof.

[2dandan]

Carried out a watch last night. 12 bats came out of one ridge tile area and there is a sparrow nest in the adjacent ridge tile area. The gap the bats are using is about 1/2” wide but the bats themselves are pretty big.

[Big Boy]

A difficult one then - good luck in resolving it. Please update us with the solution.

[2dandan]

From internet research and speaking to a pest control person I learned that it is illegal to harm a bat but not illegal to block or disrupt a bat.

I carried out a watch over 4 nights and on each occasion I counted 12 bats leaving the roofspace. I was satisfied that that was the total number under my roof.

On the 4th night, after they had left I blocked access to the roost by taping up the entrance to the ridge tiles. The bats returned about an hour later and swooped and dived around the entrance as they discovered the entrance had been blocked.

We went out for dinner and on our return the bats had vanished. They have not returned. I have now permanently filled the gaps under my ridge tiles using expanding foam.

[PeteC]

That's a good result, and humane. I'm going to move the thread to Home, Lifestyle & Family where people can reference it more easily.

[Nereus]

Where do these things breed? Have to wonder if they had nests and / or young in the roof space.

[PeteC]

Where do these things breed? Have to wonder if they had nests and / or young in the roof space.

I thought the same thing and I think what I read said baby bat season is May-June, and gone from the mother/nest by August. They should have all been gone by the time he taped/foamed the entrances