Pipistrelle bats commonly roost in buildings and are highly vulnerable to welfare harm during renovation work, requiring careful management and licensing.
Pipistrelle welfare during building work is at maximum risk during the May-August maternity period. Pups born in this period are flightless and entirely dependent on their mothers for 3-4 weeks — roost disturbance at this time causes pup abandonment, hypothermia and death. Even outside the maternity season, exclusion without licensing can trap bats inside buildings, causing deaths from dehydration. Licensed bat ecologists can design exclusion timing and methods that allow bats to vacate before works begin while minimising welfare impacts.