Bats in Buildings: What Property Owners in East London and Essex Should Know

Bats are often found roosting in the same lofts, wall cavities and roof spaces where pest professionals are called to deal with rodents, birds or insects. Unlike most pest control targets, bats and their roosts are protected by law, so anyone carrying out work in a building where bats may be present needs to understand what a roost is, why it matters, and what to do if one is found. This guide covers the basics for homeowners, landlords, and commercial property managers across East London, Romford, Barking, Ilford, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Upminster, Loughton, Chigwell, and Woodford.

Bats Are Not Pests

Bats are wild mammals, not pests, and Bugwise does not treat, remove, or exclude bats from a property. They cause no structural damage, do not build nests, and their presence in a loft or roof space is not, on its own, a reason for pest control intervention. The concern for property owners is usually a separate issue, such as rodents or birds using the same roof space, and any work in that area needs to be planned carefully if bats are also present.

Why Bat Roosts Are Protected by Law

All bat species found in the UK, and their roosts, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. A roost is any place a bat uses for shelter, including crevices, loft spaces, and wall cavities, and it remains legally protected even when no bats are there at the time. Disturbing a roost, blocking access to it, or harming a bat, whether intentionally or through careless building or pest control work, can be a criminal offence. The BPCA has further guidance on bats in buildings for pest professionals.

How Bats Use Buildings

The UK has seventeen breeding bat species, and all of them have been recorded using buildings to some degree. Common pipistrelles, soprano pipistrelles, and brown long-eared bats are among the species most likely to be found in houses, typically roosting between April and September when females give birth to and raise their young.

Common Roosting Sites

Bats can use most parts of a building, but they are most often found in:

• Roof spaces and loft voids
• Wall cavities and soffits
• Under roof tiles and behind fascia boards
• Gaps around barge boards and eaves

Access points can be as small as a fifteen-millimetre gap, which is why bat roosts are sometimes only discovered once other proofing or repair work is already underway.

How to Tell Bats Apart from Rodents

Bat droppings can look similar to rodent droppings at first glance, but there are differences worth checking before any treatment begins. Bat droppings tend to be found in a pile rather than scattered, crumble to a dry, insect-speckled dust when crushed, and are usually found beneath entry or exit points rather than along a travelled route. Rodent droppings hold their shape when crushed and are typically found alongside other signs of rodent activity, such as gnaw marks or grease trails.

Where rodent activity is confirmed and a property may also have bats, the Bat Conservation Trust publishes a rodent control advice sheet aimed at pest professionals and property owners, covering how to carry out rodent treatment safely without disturbing a roost. It is a useful reference for anyone planning proofing or baiting work in a building with a suspected bat presence.

What to Do If Bats Are Found During Pest Control Work

If bats, droppings consistent with bats, or signs of a roost are found during an inspection, the correct approach is to pause work in that area rather than proceed with treatment or proofing. Sticky traps, fly papers, and a number of standard pest control products can present serious risks to bats and should not be used anywhere a roost is suspected. Timing work outside the maternity season, using localised rather than blanket treatment, and getting advice before sealing any gaps are the safest ways to keep a job moving without putting bats or the property owner at legal risk.

Where Bugwise Fits In

Bugwise regularly works in the same roof spaces, lofts, and eaves that bats use, through rodent proofing, bird proofing, and general pest control across East London and Essex. Where a possible roost is identified during a job, Bugwise will flag it to the property owner and pause the relevant part of the work rather than proceed, and can advise on how to sequence proofing work around a roost once proper advice has been sought. Bugwise does not provide bat surveys, licensed bat work, or bat exclusion services.

Who to Contact for Bat Advice

The Bat Conservation Trust is the main source of independent advice on bats in the UK and runs the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 for anyone with questions about a suspected roost, concerns about disturbance, or a bat in need of rescue. Their website, bats.org.uk, also holds detailed guidance for building professionals, including the rodent control advice sheet referenced above.

Bats in Local Properties

Many of the Victorian terraces, converted lofts, and older commercial buildings common across East London, Romford, Barking, Ilford, Dagenham, and the wider Essex borders offer exactly the kind of roof void and eaves access that bats favour. Property owners planning loft conversions, roof repairs, or rodent proofing in older buildings in these areas are more likely to encounter a roost than those in newer builds, and it is worth factoring this into the timing of any work.