Bat Problems and Welfare

Please read this page in conjunction with advice given on our Bat Rescue page

Found a grounded bat?

If you find an injured or grounded bat please contact the Bat Conservation Trust’s national bat helpline on 0345 1300 228.

There are very few bat carers in Herefordshire and the BCT will do its best to find somebody in your area who will be able to help with your grounded bat.  Summer is a busy time of year for all bat workers and we are all volunteers and most of us have families and full-time jobs.  We will do our best to help but due to the amount of calls we receive at this time of year, we may ask the finder of the bat to deliver the bat to the bat carer. 

A grounded bat will almost certainly need help and if you are awaiting a response and you feel it would be better for the bat to be moved somewhere safe you can help us by following this procedure.

What do I need to contain the bat?

You will need a shoe box, with small holes punched in the lid (or container of equivalent size), a cloth or tea-towel and a plastic bottle cap (water or milk bottle tops are perfect)

How do I contain the bat?

1. Wear gloves and then take the box to the bat, carefully encouraging it in with the edge of your gloved hand.  Alternatively, cover the bat with a cloth/teatowel and carefully scoop it up and place it in the box.

2.  Provide water by putting a small container in the box (ideally a plastic milk bottle cap) with a well dampened piece of kitchen roll inside.  There is no need to provide food at this stage.

3. Keep the bat indoors somewhere quiet and dark and away from family pets.

Only after the bat has been confirmed as fit and healthy by a bat carer should it be released, and never during the day.

What should I do if bats roost in my house?

If you have any concerns about bats in your house or are planning any repair work which may affect a bat roost please contact the Bat Conservation Trust on
0345 1300 228, who will appoint a roost visitor to carry out a bat survey free of charge.

Local Development and Wildlife Issues

Please refer to our dedicated page on our main Herefordshire Mammal Group website