We take our advice from The Bat Conservation Trust www.bats.org.uk – a very useful and informative resource on all things bat. It’s a regular Tool Box Talk for our team, affectionately known as The Bat Chat.
All British Bat species are protected by law and many bats roost in trees; although some bat species have adapted to living in buildings, trees still remain important throughout the year for most of the UK’s 16 species. Suitable trees are becoming fewer and further between as older and hollow trees, which provide holes to roost in and a feast of insect life (and even younger trees with suitable cavities) are removed.
Just as with nesting birds, it’s our job to check for bats or roosts before any work commences and we do this twice; once when we first come to look at the job and to give you a quote for thew work, and again before any practical work is done on the day we arrive to start.
The presence of bats does not necessarily or always automatically mean that tree work cannot proceed but if bats (or roosts) are thought to be present before, or during, work then works should be stopped and advice sought from Natural England, or a competent ecologist to ensure you work is completed within the law. This is something we’re familiar with, having worked alongside professional ecologists on a number of projects.
For advice about work to your trees and hedges, contact Andrew on 01256 817369; 07771 883061 or email him at Andrew@primarytrreesurgeons.co.uk