Bat box

Davesnave

bucksbloke said:

Our estate has them, but they fitted them to all of the shared ownership houses. 

What % of the equity do the bats own?

I checked my nest boxes on the back of the barn two or three weeks ago and found that the sparrows in the detached single ones appeared to have cleared them out, while the terrace of 3 had been left in a bit of a mess. It could be that the single boxes just aren't used much, as sparrows are very social birds. Maybe I need to move them closer together? 

Perhaps some people are scared that if bats are encouraged, they'll take up residence in their loft, but if it's a modern house that's very unlikely.

MysteryMe

A bird shouldn't be able to get into a properly made bat box, bats are tiny, they look bigger than they are because of wingspan.  It's very important that wooden bat boxes are made of untreated timber.
I'm just astounded at the OP's attitude, where their property has been built would have previously been a living habitat for wildlife. The least the developers can do in exchange is to provide some kind of alternative roosting place.

MysteryMe

ElephantBoy57 said:

jockserb said:

Just found out builder of new build has fitted brick look alike bat box on gable end of house ..

Some people would consider that as a good selling point. It's good to encourage birds/bats.

I assume once you own a house, you can do whatever you choose, so long as its not a covenant.

Yes, they are good at keeping insects and pest numbers down.
Bats and their roosts are protected under the law. You would need to get someone licensed to check the box was occupied or had been occupied.  A local bat group or Natural England (or equivalent) can do this,usually FOC.  

GaleSF63

Davesnave said:

Perhaps some people are scared that if bats are encouraged, they'll take up residence in their loft, but if it's a modern house that's very unlikely.

What counts as a modern house, bat-wise?
One of our next door neighbours had them in their loft; 1960s semi, in the 1980s. If you were outside at the right time you could see dozens of them whooshing off (we were very near water) but it was a matter of luck as well as judgement so often disappointed.

Davesnave

GaleSF63 said:

Davesnave said:

Perhaps some people are scared that if bats are encouraged, they'll take up residence in their loft, but if it's a modern house that's very unlikely.

What counts as a modern house, bat-wise?
One of our next door neighbours had them in their loft; 1960s semi, in the 1980s. If you were outside at the right time you could see dozens of them whooshing off (we were very near water) but it was a matter of luck as well as judgement so often disappointed.

Sixties houses are now quite old, in the sense that the sarking felt under their roofs will have deteriorated at the edges allowing creatures in, whereas modern houses will have methods to allow air flow to the loft, but these will be  designed to keep out animals larger than flies. I get cluster flies in my loft every autumn, but no wasps or hornets due to the size of the ventilators on the soffit boards.

By the way, I didn't mean my boxes were for bats. They have plenty of roosting places nearby, as do swallows, but sometimes no amount of provision will work. Swallows have declined rapidly since the Chinese started selling fine mesh nets to the people in the Middle East who trap them for food. I've handled a few bats and I'd say some are as large as small birds, like wrens and goldcrests.

Slinky

Well done to your developer, more should be encouraged to do this.

I thought the entrances of bat boxes should be underneath, I'm surprised that anybody is getting birds in them.

We've bought 2 boxes for swifts to go up on our house. We'll be playing a CD of the sounds of a swift colony to try an attract them to the boxes.  We're also thinking about putting up bat boxes.

[Deleted User]

Sorry to inform you there removing it....Thanks for the replies

greatcrested

jockserb said:

Sorry to inform you there removing it....Thanks for the replies

Please tell us where.... so we can start a legal process to prevent their removal!

[Deleted User]

Swapped it for a swallow box .....Sorted

Martin_the_Unjust

jockserb said:

Swapped it for a swallow box .....Sorted

Have you any idea what copious amounts of pooh nesting swallows produce? I hope you don't have any windows, paths etc under the swallow box or you are really going to regret that decision.