How To Discourage Wildlife

pboae

pollyskettle wrote: »

No-one gets the kind of replies I've been reading here if they ask how to get rid of slugs.

Last time I looked slugs weren't a protected species.

pollyskettle

pboae wrote: »

Last time I looked slugs weren't a protected species.

Neither are these:

hedgehogs
frogs/toad's
wasps
bees
flies

The OP is asking how to discourage them, not kill them.

pboae

Way back at the beginning perhaps, and the answer then was the same as it is now, remove their food source. But your post was solely about bats, and recommending the use of sonic deterrents against bats would but the OP on dodgy ground.

pollyskettle

pboae wrote: »

Way back at the beginning perhaps, and the answer then was the same as it is now, remove their food source. But your post was solely about bats, and recommending the use of sonic deterrents against bats would but the OP on dodgy ground.

Point taken, but I don't think it does put the OP on 'dodgy ground'. The item is marketed as a Cat Deterent, but it's suggested on other parts of the internet that it may work on bats. If these were something that did indeed disturb bats greatly, as they are a protected species the Cat Sonic Repellent thingys would be illegal, as it is they are in most of the catalogues that come with my Telegraph! The OP does not mention that the bats are roosting in her house, just that she appears to be on their flight path.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Habitats Regulation 1994 it is illegal to:

• Intentionally or deliberately kill, injure or capture bats
• Intentionally, deliberately or recklessly disturb bats
• Intentionally, deliberately or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct any place used for shelter or protection, ie bat roosts (even if they are not currently occupied)
• Possess, sell or transport a bat, or anything derived from it.

The 'disturb' part is applicable to their habitat rather than their flight path, as is illustrated here: http://www.nwt.org.uk/index.php?section=learning:law (short link thing not working for me). It's just a suggestion that the OP could try as they clearly bother her greatly.

My comments were directed at comments such as:

Your attitude stinks. All the wildlife has more right to be in your garden than you

rather than those directly about bats.

pboae

pollyskettle wrote: »

Point taken, but I don't think it does put the OP on 'dodgy ground'. The item is marketed as a Cat Deterent, but it's suggested on other parts of the internet that it may work on bats. If these were something that did indeed disturb bats greatly, as they are a protected species the Cat Sonic Repellent thingys would be illegal, as it is they are in most of the catalogues that come with my Telegraph!

They are perfectly legal to use as a cat deterrent, but illegal if you use them as a bat deterrent (and probably illegal if you use them as a cat deterrent but happen to disturb bats as well). Just as a a tennis racquet is legal, but you still can't use it to hit or hurt a bat, or sticky traps are legal, but not if they are used to trap a bat.

pollyskettle wrote: »

The OP does not mention that the bats are roosting in her house, just that she appears to be on their flight path.

computerwoman wrote: »

can't do loft extension untill bat's have been removed/rehomed

Computerwoman: http://www.beastwatch.co.uk/ I think would be interested to hear about your big cat sighting.

pollyskettle

hadn't read that bit! Nor have I had any coffee yet so brain not totally functioning lol.

I concede that if she has them roosting, using them as a deterent is probably not the best plan, unless she has a troublesome cat that visits, in which case they would be perfectly legal to use, unless of course, she sited them in her loft, in the same way that if she was playing tennis in her garden and a bat swooped low enough to be hit with the racquet in the normal course of the game, it would not make the racquet illegal, unless she was playing tennis on a cherry picker with the intention of volleying bats.

I actually like bats! I thoroughly dislike rabbits, foxes, pigeons, bees, wasps, slugs, snails, spiders, rats and beetles. And parsnips.

Just trying to help.

computerwoman

I got stung afew years back now when I first moved in here....and guess what ended up in A & E with an allergic reaction....that's why I'd like to discourage bees wasps...we have damp ground in the garden as it's a woodland area that we live in....conservation area....although it had loads of tree's and field's when I was growing up....there is lots of housing estates all around us now....the price of expansion and growth I suppose....the wildlife I mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg....but most don't bother us....hedge hogs....there seems to be alot....and my worries are the dogs....as I wouldn't want to harm the hedge hogs but I can't stay glued to my dog's every minute...and the hedge hogs are invading the dog pound...so very stupid animal....also as the dog pound is attached to the house...the dog's just pick them up like footballs and bring them inside....:eek:...which isn't my cup of tea...as then I have to start with the flea spray again...although I would like to try and discourage these thing's from coming in...I also like to do abit of gardening as it's very relaxing...as I am disabled and have been told that my mobility wont get any better than it is now...I have decided to re-design the garden...saving all the plants shrubs...and putting in raised bed's one in each corner and one in the middle...as I have some tree's to go in as well...then pave and gravel what's left...as I am unable to use a grass cutter anymore and my son does it for me...but he is not going to be here forever...as one day he will want his own place...I realise that I'll never get rid of these thing's completely and don't want to..I just wondered what I could do to deter them from coming in ...in as many number's...not get rid all together...thanks for all your help...and I have been told what I need to do now...thankyou all....:A:A:A

Seakay

A possible note of comfort is that you really don't need to spend loads on flea stuff:

Fleas:
Hedgehog fleas are host specific: they can only live on hedgehogs, they are harmless to humans and domestic pets, and cannot live in your carpet or furniture like other fleas. Never spray a hedgehog with flea spray.

http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/Emergencies/Hedgehogs/body_hedgehogs.htm

blue_monkey_2

Having read all of this I have one question....

wWhy on earth did you move into a house that has bats in it if you did not like them and if everything is so much of a bother why not move somewhere a lot more centralised so you do not get the hedgehogs and bats. Yu mentioned you only moved there a few years back. Did you not know there was bats when you moved in?

I would, as I am sure a lot of other people would, love to live in a house that has such an abundence of wildlife living in it - I think of the money I would save on Sky TV for a start!! Maybe you could block up any holes in your fences, that would stop the hedgehogs getting in (they can climb wire fencing though) if you want to be out in the evening or daytime why not get some long burning cintronella candles on sticks to discourage the insects, flies and bees (might encourage the moths at night though) but why not move if you can't do a lot of the things you love doing in the garden? Paving over sounds great but that will not deter the bats and it looks like you are going to be stuck with them forever if you cannot disturb their habitats. If you are council/HA how about an exchange and explaining why you need to move, I am sure you'll be unindated with offers. Bats are harmless, they don't attack people but they are blind and fly close until their sonic radar tells them something is there and they need to go off in a different direction. I am sure this is right (someone will correct me if not) but this is why you think they are attacking you but all they are doing is flying off in a different direction. What on earth could a tiny bat do to harm you and what would it get out of attacking you? I am sure that hitting one with a tennis racket is against the law in all honesty as you are inetnionally setting out to harm it if it comes near you and I think this very sad.

I do think if you have this much of a phobia then you really do need to consider moving as you are stuck with them forever now. While you might say you love your home and you are happy there you obviously are not else you would be happy with the bats coming and going. And, should someone know where you live and suspect that you are harming the bats with that tennis racket you use you might find yourself being prosecuted or something and it is a £5,000 fine per bat. it doesn't take more than a call to the RSPCA whether someone KNOWS something for sure or not - when it is down to wildlife they will inspect even if there is a 'not sure' and if they find a dead bat or find out what the racket is for you then you'll be in trouble. Maybe some food for thought for you really.

olly300

blue_monkey you are correct about bats as I know they don't attack people.

In addition some toads are protected in the UK. So computerwoman you should work out what actual species of toads and frogs you have in your garden because harming those could also get you in trouble.