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Why Do Bats Go Inside Homes? What should be done in order to prevent bat entry and bat damage within homes?

Bats are our only flying mammals and since they are nocturnal they need a place to spend the day light hours. Some bats, especially the big brown bat in Kentucky and Ohio, seem to find houses to be a suitable habitat for spending the day. Attics are nice and roomy, especially in some of the big Victorian homes we find infested in older sections of town. Many of these older homes have holes that have been created by other wildlife (squirrels) or by fungus damage to wood. This gives the bat the opportunity to get into the attic. Once they are in they can choose to stay if the conditions are right. There are plenty of cracks and crevices around rafters and at the roof peak to comfortably roost dozens if not scores of bats.

These attics are hot in the summer and that really is a great environment in which the females may raise their young. Those baby bats are hairless when born and so ugly they are adorable. They suckle on the mother during the day, but at night she needs to leave to go forage for food. Those babies need a warm place to "hang out" until mom gets back.

- Dr. Chris Christensen
Critter Control of Cincinnati
Critter Control of Lexington


 

What Should People Know About Bats For This Season?

Bats will continue to try to get into a home for years. Multiple bats inside the living space indicate a colony living in the home. Complete exclusions are the best management for bats getting in homes.

 

- Joseph Loma
WMSMN - Minnesota


Bats are a very beneficial species to have in our neighborhoods as far as insect reduction. Bats feed on hundreds of insects every night. When bats get too close for comfort, then it is important to follow safe practices in removal of the bat. Hiring a professional to remove the bat safely from the premises is very important to reduce the risk of bites or exposures to anyone in the home. We encourage homeowners who find a bat in the living space of their home to have it tested for rabies in case an exposure occurred without knowing it. After removal of a bat from a living space, our field specialists will have the bat sent in for testing at the local health department or Department of Agriculture testing facility. It should also be noted that a very small percentage of bats carry the rabies virus....less than 1%.

- Mike Faler
Critter Control of Columbus
Critter Control of Dayton
Critter Control of Toledo


Bats are our friends and we should remove them if possible without harming them.

  • June and July, let them fly: The babies are nursing and do not leave the roost at night. Wait until August to seal holes and entry points.

The difference between bats living or colonizing in the structure and bats resting on the structure during their flight pattern:

  • It is common to find bat guano on a portal or porch and, over time, see white urine stains on the side of walls. The client typically does not see the bats and offten mistakes the guano for mice droppings. There are limitations in controling this situation; however, the most important is to determine the difference between colonizing in the structure or a resting site.

How to tell mouse droppings from bat guano:

  • When crushed bat quano turns into a million particles [powder]. Mouse droppings will not.

In New Mexico the little brown bat is the most common species in structures and they do migrate each year. The rule of thumb as to when bats leave and return is to follow the flying insects. When it is warm enough for flying insects in the spring, the bats return. At first frost or freeze, the bats will migrate south becuase the flying insects are not flying in the cold. Here in New Mexico, bats will return in March and  early April in Southern NM, April and early May in Central NM, and late in May to early June in Northern NM.

- Richard Swinney
Critter Control of Albuquerque
Critter Control of Santa Fe


Bats that have been in the living space must be tested for rabies.

- Tom Burngardt
Critter Control of Kansas City Metro


Bats are being attacked by a new disease called White Nose Syndrome. Our offices in Pennsylvania have so far been hit the hardest.

- Sean Carruth
Vice President of Communications, Critter Control


We have seen a significant decrease in the number of bat calls we receive in June, July and August due to White Nose Syndrome.

- Steve Majetich
Critter Control of Pittsburgh


 

What damage or other problems do bats cause when they invade homes?

In the more humid climates, a build up of bat guano in the walls or in the attic may create several problems. Aside from the odor, the guano may hasten the mildew and mold development as moisture and food are supplied for growth. In the Florida area, as the temperatures go down so does the humidity, but when the humidity comes back up, the odor will be reactivated and start anew.

- Ed Carrow
Critter Control of Tampa Bay

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