Bats are found in nearly every geographic region in Florida. Favorite environments include tropical forests, woodlands, open fields, both suburban and urban communities, and even deserts. Roosting requirements usually depend on the species, but caves, trees, hollowed logs, rock crevices, and human dwellings serve as excellent habitats.
Bat Season in South Alabama
Bat maternity colonies begin to form in early April. These roosts are frequently near areas prone to insect swarms such as fields, ponds, or neighborhoods. In the late spring or summer, homeowners who see bats leaving an attic or overhang at twilight may need to check for an infestation.
The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by utilizing a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve is like a one-way door. It 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. Our inspector will determine the proper amount of bat valves to be used, but most removals only require one bat valve.
Bat Problems in Your Attic
One of the biggest bat problems is the collection of bat droppings, also called guano. Bat guano can introduce health risks to you and your family and damage your attic.
Guano provides a hospitable environment for the fungal spores that cause Histoplasmosis, a respiratory ailment, to grow. When droppings accrue, the spores become airborne and can be breathed in by residents. During bat removal, the Critter Control experts wear respirators to protect themselves.
Bat guano collects under the roost location. The longer a infestation the larger the pile of bat droppings. They can contaminate your insulation and weaken your ceiling.
In rare cases, a bat can find itself in the living space of your home. It is exceedingly rare for bats to bite you, but it can be difficult to find a bat bite spot. Additionally, bats are known carriers of rabies. If someone has been in the same room with a bat, it is prudent to seek medical attention or contact the local health department.
Problems with Bats in Walls
In addition to creating noise, a bat in house walls may become stuck. This is especially common for young bats, which have not yet mastered flying. If left alone, trapped bats often starve and die in wall voids, attracting rodents, cockroaches, and other pests with the smell of decay.
Mobile Bat Removal from Critter Control
Not only is bat exclusion the most effective way to get rid of bats from roosting in your attic, but it is also the most humane and ethical bat control strategy.
Exclusion tubes are a one-way exit, allowing bats in the chimney to leave but not to return. The process typically takes three to seven days to ensure all bats are out. After a final attic inspection, we remove the valve and seal the final exit point.
Once bats are gone, the professionals at Critter Control will remove any feces and apply sanitization agents to decontaminate the area. In extreme cases, we off full attic restorations and reinstall attic insulation.
Critter Control offers professional bat removal across the country. Where you live will determine when bat removal is possible. In colder climates, you cannot remove or disturb bats during hibernation. During the summer, you can evict bats once the pups can fly on their own.
Why Are Bats Protected?
In Florida, all bats are insectivores. They eat over a thousand insects every night. Can you imagine how many insects there would be on the planet if it weren’t for bats? We would be overwhelmed. For this reason, bats are essential for the survival of our ecosystem.
Bats are also excellent pollinators for bananas, cloves, and peaches. They are the only pollinators for agave, which has many uses, including making tequila. Bat species that eat fruits aid in seed dispersal and the continued growth of fruit plants.
Recognizing their importance, state and federal governments place protections on bats, making it illegal to kill them. That’s not the only reason bats are protected. A few more include the following:
- 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.
- Bats are killed by humans who do not understand their importance and likely do not know about the laws protecting the species.
- Wind turbines kill hundreds of thousands of migrating bats around the world.
- Pesticides used by farmers reduce the number of bugs available for bats to eat.
- Disturbances during hibernation cause bats to use up stored fat too soon, leaving them without a food source for the rest of the winter.
- 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.
Get Rid of Bats with Critter Control in Mobile, AL
