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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Bats in the house we are buying!

49 replies

Buda · 14/11/2009 11:18

Just had the survey through. There are bats in the roof! I am PHOBIC. Yuck. Yuck. Double and treble YUCK!

Just re-read this thread where I have posted that I would have to move if there were bats in my house! And now they have obviously come to get me. Aaarrgh!

So. We can get rid of them yes? If we do it nicely and properly and when they are not looking after babies etc etc. We can. Can't we? Could be a dealbreaker otherwise.

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MitchyInge · 15/11/2009 12:49

maybe the timing is right for you to look at getting some help with your phobia? given how intense the feelings are, it's astonishing how curable phobias tend to be - and you have a massive incentive this time

am with jolly pirate on thinking 'lucky you!' - maybe you will come to feel the same way?

bibbitybobbityhat · 15/11/2009 13:40

Perhaps there are conservation groups that can rehome the bats?

My brother worked for one (in Surrey) that used to rescue and rehome slow worms and grass snakes from building land.

Original poster

Buda · 15/11/2009 13:40

I am not planning on doing ANYTHING at the moment. As I said before I will talk to the surveyor and find out more tomorrow.

Quattrofangs - why are you worried that I would 'go down the legal route'?? Purely hypothetically - if the law is SO regimented that people have to live with bats whether they want to or not, then surely the law could/should be amended? I am not saying to change the law totally but common sense needs to prevail surely?

A few people have commented on me getting help with my 'phobia'. I don't feel the need. It isn't something that has ever affected my day to day life till now. And I am not sure it would be classified as a full-on phobia anyway really. But most people would not want to live with bats. I hate bats, rats and snakes. Nothing too unusual there I wouldn't have thought.

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MitchyInge · 15/11/2009 13:44

it's just quite liberating when you do overcome a fear, and a bit sad to be repulsed by something that is beautiful and clever and fascinating when you don't have to be, when it's possible to feel very differently about them

bibbitybobbityhat · 15/11/2009 13:47

The laws that protect bats and other endangered species in Britain are there for a good reason Buda. Bats are not taking precedence of people. People can live in the house. As lots of mumsnetters have pointed out it is not too inconvenient to live with bats, they even have a certain charm. Your phobia makes it difficult for you (sympathies) but thats just you.

I had a course of about 10 sessions of cbt for my terrible phobia a year or so ago and I found it to be extremely helpful.

Original poster

Buda · 15/11/2009 13:47

Maybe MitchyInge. But I think I am happy as I am!

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Quattrofangs · 15/11/2009 14:07

"Quattrofangs - why are you worried that I would 'go down the legal route'?? Purely hypothetically - if the law is SO regimented that people have to live with bats whether they want to or not, then surely the law could/should be amended? I am not saying to change the law totally but common sense needs to prevail surely?"

Well I think that changing the law would involve a huge amount of time effort and money. Really significant sums of money. And you might well not be successful at the end of it all. So don't even try.

Bats are probably cleaner than you think. Although our colony sounds a lot smaller than Gentle Otter's, they've not been a pest in any way. We're enchanted by them really.

Miggsie · 15/11/2009 14:18

We had a house with bats and I am also a member of bat's protection...it is illegal to get rid of bats yourself.

Bats have a declining number of places they can roost and breed in, this is not true for human, we have destroyed 50% of the bats by removing their habitats. Bats have not destroyed any human habitats. Bats also eat, on average 3000 insects in a single summer each. If your house has a colony of bats then the area is likely to be high in insects. If the bats go the insects will increase and, if they are biting insects, cause far more problmes to you than the bats.

You need to get the bat protection people in. They could lure the bats to another site but killing them all is a crime and phenomenally selfish.

It may only be an occasional roost site as well. Generally bats have several sites where they roost, a site where the mothers go to have babies, and sites where they hibernate. You need to identify the bat species and the type of roost it is.

Bats are a protected species for a very good reason, bats protection will happily help out if you prefer them not to be in that house, but they were there first.

Please can you not contribute to a species extinction due to an irrational fear that is probably groundless. Bats fly and eat insects...that's it.

Original poster

Buda · 15/11/2009 15:08

Miggsie - I never said I wanted to kill them. I just don't want them living in my house. Cute and all as some people think they are, I don't.

Quattrofangs - I also never said I wanted to change the law or would try to. I am realistic enough to realise that that would cost huge amounts of money and prob not work. But with all things in this life there are usually legal routes to be taken that can lead to satisfying both parties in situations.

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ilove · 15/11/2009 15:09

Surely to goodness it isn't right that if you end up with a bat in your house you cannot evict it?

No way? Really????

MamaG · 15/11/2009 15:41

oh God Buda how shitty for you - I know how happy you were to find this bloody house too

Let us know what the surveyor says

FabIsJustSoBusy · 15/11/2009 15:52

I would tell the current owners they had to sort it out or it is a deal breaker. It isn't worth breaking the law for, really.

GentleOtter · 15/11/2009 16:10

Ask them to drop the price

Original poster

Buda · 15/11/2009 16:24

GentleOtter - I would pay them MORE if they sort it out! (But don't tell them!)

Anyway - am going to forget about it for tonight and get more info tomorrow. And we will take it from there.

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Original poster

Buda · 16/11/2009 10:52

Right. Have spoken to surveyor. Seems to have been an over-statement on his part and an over-reaction on mine!

It is not as bad as I thought. He thought he saw one but when he looked again there was nothing there. There ARE droppings but they could be old. He spoke to the vendors and they said that there were bats but that they hadn't seen any for a few years. I have just spoken to the vendor too and she promised me that she hadn't seen any. She said she quite liked the idea of having them and when they moved into the house in 1983 they had the roof treated for woodworm and because there was evidence of bats they had to use a different chemical but that even so she thinks the bats left then. She said that one evening about 3 summers ago she saw 1 bat in the garden. I think I believe her as they are only moving next door so it is not as if she will never see me again! Whew!

Surveyor is going to speak to a company that he uses to sort out wasps nests in his house and see if they would be able to have a look and tell if the droppings are old or if there is evidence of recent bat occupation.

I think that if it is obv that bats have not been there for years we should be able to bat-proof as much as possible. The odd one in the garden I can cope with.

I did suggest to the vendor that if there were bats and she liked them, she could take them with her!

So it sounds like I don't have to take a double-barrelled shotgun either to the bats or to the bat-conservation people!

Fingers crossed the bats moved on to a more desirable address years ago!

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GentleOtter · 16/11/2009 10:57

I am really pleased for you and the fact that it may not be a hoofing great colony. It sounds as if the bats moved away.

Good luck with the rest of the batless house buy/ house move.

Original poster

Buda · 16/11/2009 11:12

Thanks GentleOtter!

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GrendelsMum · 16/11/2009 11:19

It's just the same as our situation, then - I think that reputable woodworm companies are very, very careful about their repuation and not falling foul of the law and will err on the side of caution in being bat friendly, and thus will say there are signs of bats even if the bats are long moved out.

Am I right in thinking your new house is quite old? If so, it might be well worth you attending the SPAB Homeowners course before you start booking your builders for the roof repairs - they pack an incredible amount of advice into a weekend's course, and it has certainly saved us from numerous expensive mistakes and a lot of worry.

Original poster

Buda · 16/11/2009 11:44

Hi GrendelsMum - the house was built in 1906. I will have a look into that course. We have a slight complication in that we currently live in Hungary so are buying while still living here.

The surveyor did say that we should probably get 20 years or more out of the roof currently. I do want it bat-proofed as far as possible though!

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MamaG · 16/11/2009 13:20

YAY buda thats great news

traceybath · 16/11/2009 13:28

Good news for you.

The house we're currently renting has bats in the attic but I've only ever seen them flying round outside at dusk.

And I am also phobic about bats - its the pesky mice who keep me awake in the attic.

OrmIrian · 16/11/2009 13:30

I'll have your bats buda!

But even if you have them you'd hardly ever come across them TBH. They are very very private.

rebl · 16/11/2009 17:46

Glad that its good news on all fronts. I quite like bats but I wouldn't want them in my house and I wouldn't buy a house with bats in it but thats just me. If you can prove they don't currently live there then I think I would buy and then block up all holes so they can't get in.

Original poster

Buda · 16/11/2009 18:13

Just had a call from the estate agents asking me to call the vendor which I did. I spoke to the wife this morning so she said she had spoken to her husband and he is determined that this won't stand in the way of the sale so they will have a look themselves and see what is there at the moment. He has never seen any and she has seen one but can't remember if it was this last summer or the one before.

It is all so much better than I was imagining!

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