Bats (British) - Bats and Humans

Bats were once very common in the British Isles, but now, for a number of reasons, they are in decline.

The worrying reduction in bat numbers has been attributed partly to loss of roosting sites, such as hollow trees. Although most species of British bat have adapted to roosting in buildings for at least part of the year, trees are still used at other times. Some bats, such as the noctule and rare Bechstein's bat depend almost entirely on trees. Another reason for their decline is increased use of insecticides, thus depriving the bats of their insect food. Also chemical timber treatments in buildings can poison bats, for more information on timber treatments and bats see Natural England.