All UK bat species are legally protected. Their welfare requires sensitive management of roosts in buildings and the maintenance of insect-rich hunting habitats.
Bat welfare in the UK centres on two main threats: roost disturbance during building work, and the long-term decline of flying insects that form their entire diet. Roost disturbance during winter torpor can cause death as bats cannot feed to replace lost fat reserves. Individual bats that survive but lose significant weight during disturbance face reduced survival chances. Landscape-scale insect decline - driven by pesticide use, light pollution, and habitat loss - is a chronic welfare emergency for bat populations. Creating insect-rich gardens and maintaining hedgerows near bat commuting routes are the most effective welfare actions.