Bat surveys
(All)
Bats may roost in cavities within trees, but also within man-made structures, including houses, bridges and mines.
Since bat roosts are legally protected, these types of structure should be assessed for the presence of bats when they occur on development sites.
A commonly used method to establish the presence or likely absence of roosting bats is a thorough internal and external inspection of the tree, building or structure to search for evidence, such as scratch marks and droppings.
Surveys for bat signs can be carried out at any time of year, but bats are most likely to be seen or heard in roofs during the summer or autumn or seen in subterranean areas during the winter. This type of survey is usually undertaken in conjunction with emergence surveys at potential roost sites and bat activity surveys using bat detectors to record the bats using a site for foraging and commuting. Such bat activity surveys can be undertaken from April to September. A licence is required to enter a known bat roost or to handle a bat.
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