Managing noise

The majority of bat roosts do not cause any problems for homeowners, though noise is occasionally discernible from roosts situated within cavity walls or above ceilings.

As roost sites are usually used on a seasonal basis, any noise is likely to be restricted to the summer months during dawn and dusk when the bats are most active.

One of the first things to do is to work out whether bats are causing the noise. It is extremely unlikely that noises heard during the winter are being caused by bats, as November to March is bats’ hibernation season and most colonies that roost in houses over the summer are likely to have moved on. Some bats do stay in the same building year-round, but they will have become much less active and are unlikely to be making noise.

This is not necessarily to say that you don’t have bats, just that they are almost certainly not the cause of the noise. If the noise you are experiencing is occurring in the winter, we would advise you to employ a pest controller to investigate the source of the noise.

During the summer noise is usually most noticeable at dusk and on hot days. We understand that a noisey roost can cause a lot a stress especially if the noise is heard in bedrooms and causing a disruption to sleep.

Solutions are very dependent upon your situation. Adhesive sound insulation could be installed in the interior of the house, or lagging or cladding used to dampen the sound. Other solutions that have worked for roost owners in the past have included arranging furniture or installing cupboards to help dampen the sound on these walls. Some people have found that rearranging rooms, so that a room away from the roost is used as a bedroom, has solved the issue however we understand this may not always be possible.

As explained above, noise is likely to be restricted to the summer only. If this problem does continue, further advice is available, please go to the 'What to do if the issue persists' page.