Texas is home to 32 bat species, the most in the United States (47 species of bats are in the country). Bracken Caves, just north of San Antonio, is home to 15 million bats and is the largest known bat colony! If you’re looking for something a little closer, the Fort Worth Botanical Garden is home to five different bat species.
A suitable bat habitat has close access to water, ample food supply, and a safe place to roost during the day. Natural roosting locations include caves and hollowed trees. Suburban and agricultural landscapes provide similar habitat requirements. Bats will roost in mines, under bridges, in bards, in your attic, inside the walls, or on your roof.
Why are Bats Protected in Texas?
Out of the 32 local bat species, three are federally protected: the Mexican Long-nosed bat, the Tricolored bat, and the Northern Long-eared bat (recorded only once in Texas). The Southern Yellow bat is considered a threatened bat by the state, but it stays in the southern part of the state.
Bat Populations in Texas Threatened
Despite the benefits bats provide, the bat populations are threatened.
- White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that spreads through bat colonies and has almost eliminated the Northern long-eared, little brown, and tri-colored bats.
- Bats do not reproduce as quickly as other wildlife. The females typically give birth to one or two pups a year. Slow reproduction puts the species at risk for population decline.
- Pesticides used by farmers reduce the number of bugs available for bats to eat.
- Wind turbines kill hundreds of thousands of migrating bats around the world.
Benefits of Bats in Texas
All bats in Cedar Hill are insectivores (no vampire bats). Some small bats can consume up to 1000 small insects in a single hour. A nursing female bat can consume more than 4000 insects a night. It is estimated bats save U.S. farmers roughly $23 billion each year by reducing crop damage and limiting the need for pesticides.
Roosting Bat Concerns in Cedar Hills
Bats provide tremendous value; however, you do not want bats roosting in your house. Bats pose very little direct danger to people, but they can spread diseases and damage your property.
Bats defecate where they roost. Bat droppings, or guano, can accumulate within walls and attics as well as on the ground and roof tiles. The nutrient-rich droppings cultivate the growth of histoplasmosis fungus, which causes severe respiratory problems in humans.
Bats are indeed capable of contracting and transmitting the rabies virus. Rabies is transmitted via scratch, bite, or when infected saliva comes into contact with human eyes, mouths, or open wounds. So if you find bats in your house, avoid contact!
Bats also harbor ticks and fleas. Those parasites can find new hosts like your family and pets.
Bat Removal in Cedar Hills, TX
To get rid of bats in Cedar Hills, the most effective and humane method is with a bat valve. The exclusion device allows bats to fly out on their own but keeps them out. In the state of Texas, it is illegal to hunt a bat with an exception if that bat is inside a structure.
Bat Exclusions Restrictions in Texas
The current bat regulations in Texas are:
Sec. 63.101. PROTECTION OF BATS. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), no person may:
(1) hunt a bat; or
(2) sell, offer for sale, purchase, offer to purchase, or possess after purchase a bat or any part of a bat, dead or alive.
(b) A bat may be removed or hunted if the bat is inside or on a building occupied by people.
(c) This section does not apply to:
(1) an animal control officer, a peace officer, or a health official who captures a bat that the officer or official considers injured or diseased;
(2) a person who transports a bat for the purpose of laboratory testing if the bat has exposed or potentially exposed humans or domestic animals to rabies; or
(3) a person who is licensed to provide pest control serviceshttps://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PW/htm/PW.63.htm#63.101
However, legislation revises and expands the protection of bats to take effect September 1, 2025. The bill requires only nonlethal exclusion methods to be used for bat control, and the bat valve cannot be installed between May 1 and August 31.
Who should call for bat removal in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex?
You should call a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator in Texas ecause bats must be removed from structures through a process of exclusion, not extermination. Regardless of the laws, at Critter Control, we only use the most humane and ethical removal methods for bats.
How to Get Rid of Bats
The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve with a full home exclusion. Exclusion, not bat exterminator. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. Since each bat removal is unique, our specialist will use or create a bat valve specifically for your home.
Once the bat valve is installed, all other entry points will be sealed, allowing bats to exit only through the valve. The removal process typically takes 3-7 days. Our specialist will perform a final attic inspection before removing the valve. After removing the valve, the final entry point will be sealed, leaving your home bat-free.
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Pictures of Bats in the Attic
Bat Guano Identification – Signs of Bats in Attic
How Bats Get into Your House
