Bats in the UK

The Bat Conservation Trust of the UK had this to say, to help us educate citizens about the laws surrounding bats in the UK:

“Fortunately, in the UK, all bats and their roosts are protected by law such that it is illegal to deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat, among other things. Therefore the use of poisons on bats in the UK would be illegal, and may result in a criminal conviction, fine or prison sentence. “

To paraphrase some of the legislation, poisoning bats in the UK means you may be committing a criminal offence, because you would be violating these statutes:

– Deliberately injuring or killing a wild bat
– Intentionally or recklessly disturbing bats in their roost
– Damaging or destroying a place used by bats for breeding or roosting

Thus, just like in the USA, it’s illegal to poison bats.  Not to mention that this is a terrible way to actually solve a bat problem!  Unlike in the US, excluding bats from any roost in the UK is illegal without a license to do so. If you have any issues or concerns associated with your bat roost, please contact the Bat Conservation Trust Helpline at 0345-1300-228 for further advice.