All UK bat species and their roosts are legally protected, but roost disturbance during building work remains a major welfare threat. Understanding how to coexist with bat roosts benefits both bats and people.
Disturbance to maternity roosts during the breeding season causes severe welfare harm. Mother bats returning to a disturbed roost may abandon pups, which die of cold and starvation without their mother. Pups separated from roosts and unable to fly are extremely vulnerable — they cannot thermoregulate independently and die within hours without care. Renovation work that seals roost entry points in winter can trap hibernating bats, causing suffocation. Even legal works carried out without survey and licence may cause irreversible damage.