Bat Removal
Are you looking for help with bat removal? If you discover bats in your attic or elsewhere in your home, you no doubt want to find the best way to get rid of them. Get Bats Out are experts in bat removal, performing gold-standard bat removal for clients across the US. We’re here to help you find all you need about bat removal!
Before you take any steps, it is important to recognize that bats are a protected species. Bats are essential to our ecosystem. How so? By feeding on vast amounts of insects each night, they carry out invaluable pest control work! Without them, we would be overrun with mosquitoes and other insects. Also, bats are extensive pollinators – they are responsible for the presence of many foods we enjoy daily! In fact, bats save US agriculture millions of dollars each year! As such a valuable mammal, bats are protected by law since there are many threats to their existence.
If you have bats in your attic, bat removal is essential, but your methods must be legal and effective. So, what steps should you take? And before you start – how do you know if you need bat removal?
What Are the Signs of a Bat Infestation?
Finding a Bat
The first and most apparent sign of a bat infestation is if you have found one or more bats in your attic or living area. It is unusual to find a lone bat as bats live in colonies. The number of bats in a colony can range from a small number – around 20 or so bats – to a large colony numbering hundreds, thousands, or more. Therefore, if you find a bat in your home, it is vital to get an inspection to determine if a colony of bats is roosting in your property.
Bat Guano
Bat poop, known as guano, is a clear sign that you are housing bats. It is similar in appearance to mouse droppings but a little larger. Guano will usually be found on or near the entry point in your house where the bats are entering and leaving your home. Check walls and the ground around your home for droppings. Guano often accumulates on window ledges under entry points, so inspect these areas too.
What Do Bats Look Like?
If bats are roosting in your property, you are unlikely to see their physical characteristics in great detail as they are nocturnal and only leave their roosts at night to feed. Most bats share similar features, with dark brown, black, or grey fur. However, their size varies depending on the species. The most common bats in the US are Little Brown Bats which are, on average, 3.43 inches in length; Big Brown Bats, which can be between 4.3–5.1 in length; and Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, which are also around 4 inches in length.
Although bats are similar to many birds in size, their wings are very different. Unlike feathered bird wings, bat wings are finger bones held together by a thin skin membrane. The joints in these bones allow bats to bend and change the shape and size of their wings, contributing to their fast in-flight maneuvers. This flight style is the most obvious way to tell whether you are watching a bird or a bat in flight. Bats tend to swoop down from a height, and as they fly, they make sudden acrobatic movements and swift direction changes. This ability to quickly change direction helps bats respond to echolocation signals and catch their prey.
What Do Bats Sound Like?
Bats are nocturnal animals, so if you hear them, it will likely be at night when they start leaving their roost to feed. There may be squeaking and scratching sounds as they move about. However, bats are quiet creatures, and don’t make a lot of noise, so just because you haven’t heard them, don’t assume they are not there. If you have seen other signs indicating you may have bats in your attic, don’t ignore them!
sound credit: digifishmusic/freesound.org
Do a Bat Watch.
If you have bats in your attic, they will need to leave the house to feed. Bats usually leave their roost in the early evening, around twilight. To check for signs of a bat infestation, you can do a “bat watch” – go outside your home around dusk and watch to see if bats fly out from your home. It is best to do this a few days running, as bats may not leave every night, especially during inclement weather.
Why is Bat Removal Necessary?
Disease Risks
There are significant health risks linked to being in close proximity to bats. It is important to remember that these health risks can affect you even if you have not had direct contact with a bat. Rabies and histoplasmosis are two of the most common and severe illnesses associated with bats.
Bats and Rabies
Bats in the US can carry rabies. Each year rabid bats are found, and around 60,000 people in the US receive post-exposure rabies shots due to potential or confirmed contact with bats. Although not all bats will carry diseases, the consequences of contact with a sick bat are serious – if left untreated, rabies is fatal. Bats infected with rabies do not always look sick, as symptoms manifest in the very late stages of the disease. Therefore, removing bats from your home is vital to safeguard yourself and others. In addition, as soon as you discover bats in your property, it is wise to contact your local healthcare specialist to check whether you require post-exposure treatment.
Bats and Histoplasmosis
Another disease associated with bats is Histoplasmosis. This is a respiratory illness; the symptoms include cough, fever, muscle aches, chest pains, and fatigue. Histoplasmosis affects people to varying degrees – in some, the symptoms may be mild – for others, the disease can cause long-term debilitating effects. Histoplasmosis is contracted through breathing in fungal spores called Histoplasma. These spores grow in some types of soil and are frequently found in accumulations of bat guano.
For this reason, if you see large piles of bat guano – ensure that you do not try to clean this up without protective clothing. To minimize the risks of contact with harmful spores if you have bats in your home, we recommend you organize bat removal and guano clean-up as soon as possible. Any droppings and debris left behind should be removed, and the area disinfected.
How Much Damage Will Bats Do?
Another critical reason to remove bats as soon as possible is that they will cause damage to your building. Sure, you may not initially expect this to be a big problem – just some droppings and some mess to clean up. Unfortunately, the damage from bat waste is not limited to bad-smelling guano and urine marks on walls or attic floors. Bat guano can build up into large, heavy piles, which put stress on the building and can compromise the integrity of walls and ceilings. In addition, bat urine contains high uric acid levels, making it incredibly corrosive. When bat guano and urine combine and accumulate, the mixture is a highly damaging substance. It can erode and break through even strong building materials like metal, wood, and concrete. In time, the waste can cause extensive property damage. The repair costs can be astronomical, and some buildings have even been condemned due to bat infestations. Even when the damage is less significant, attic clean-up and repairs are still complex and costly. So, what is the best course of action? Arrange bat removal as quickly as possible to reduce long-term expenses and minimize unnecessary damage to your home.
Will Bats Leave on Their Own?
Although bats leave the roost at night to feed, they will always return to their roost. Bats live in colonies and may share their home with hundreds of other bats. It is very unusual for a colony of bats to decide to relocate once they have set up roost somewhere. The only instances in which they usually do this is to migrate to a different place for their hibernation season. Once hibernation has ended, the colonies typically leave their hibernaculum and return to their original roost, year after year. So, bats usually require help from bat removal specialists to encourage them to relocate.
What is the Best Way to Get Rid of Bats?
Should You Try DIY Bat Control?
When considering how to get rid of bats in your attic, one of the first questions that may come to mind is, “Can I get rid of bats myself?”. With some research, you may encounter DIY tutorials for bat control, including using repellents, scare tactics, bat poisons, or natural home remedies. Unfortunately, none of these methods are effective, and using traps and poisons is unethical and unlawful. Scare tactics, such as fans or metal objects hanging in windows, can be an irritant but will usually not be enough to deter bats completely and certainly will be ineffective in driving away a colony of bats. So, what about bat repellents?
Should You Try a Bat-Repellent Device?
Bat-repellent machines utilize ultrasonic frequencies to emit sounds at a high pitch (inaudible to humans but detectable by bats) to deter bats. The theory is that the emitted sounds irritate the bats and interfere with their communication and echolocation navigation. The hope is that this irritant will drive them away from a house without causing them harm. A clever idea, but these devices have not been proven successful in removing a colony of bats already roosting in a property.
Is it Necessary to Hire a Professional for Bat Removal?
You may find a local handyperson who does bat control. While their fees may be considerably less than a professional bat removal specialist, they will not have received the extensive training and have the skills of an expert. They will also not have the equipment to perform effective and safe bat removal. They may even resort to unethical practices such as using poison. If the bat removal fails and bats return to your building, you’re back to square one and will have wasted precious funds. The longer bats are in your property, the more damage they will cause and the greater the expense of any clean-up and repair work. Therefore, if you want to ensure a bat-free home as soon as possible and avoid wasting money, we recommend you hire a professional. Getting the work done properly by a trained professional will result in successful bat removal and your home restored to a safe, sanitary condition.
Is it Legal to Exterminate Bats?
Bats are federally protected, and killing bats in many states is illegal as certain species of bats are also protected by state law. Bats are protected due to their high value to us, as they play an essential role in our ecosystem. In addition, bats are an endangered species – sadly, their existence is threatened by habitat loss, disease, and other factors. Therefore, you must ensure that your bat removal methods will not harm the bats. The goal is to safely exclude them and keep them from returning to your property.
In-Depth Bat Removal Guide
Important Steps for a Successful Bat Removal
Whether you have hired a professional or are going to do the work yourself, these steps should be taken to ensure a successful bat removal:
Identify Entry Points
First, you need to find the place(s) bats are entering and exiting your property. Closely inspect your property, as the hole may be tiny. Bats can fit through gaps as small as ⅜ of an inch! Listen for the sounds of bats and look for dirty, brown streaks on walls – bats’ bodies are oily, so they often leave marks around their entrance. As mentioned, guano is usually found on walls or windowsills near the entry point. If you discover bat droppings on a window sill, look above it; there will likely be a hole. If in doubt, do a bat watch outside your property in the evening to see where bats exit the building. Remember that the colony may have more than one entrance point, so ensure you have inspected all areas of your property, including all high areas and the roof.
Bat-Proofing
Once you have identified the entry/exit holes, you must bat-proof all areas of your property except these exit points. Seal up any gaps in the exterior of your building using wood, expanding foam, caulk, or grout. As soon as bats are excluded, they will likely search for another way to return to their roost, so this work must be done thoroughly. Avoid sealing up vents and chimneys, which would create a fire risk. In addition, the entry points must be left unsealed; otherwise, the bats will be trapped inside your building.
Installing One-Way Doors
Once all gaps are correctly sealed, install a one-way door or exclusion device over the bat’s entrance(s). The point of these devices is to allow the bats to leave your property but to prevent them from getting back in. You can use netting or plastic to create a curtain across the hole. Secure this at the sides but keep the bottom of the curtain open so the bats can leave this way. Ensure the curtain covers the bat entrance completely by attaching it above the hole and ensuring it ends a couple of feet below it. Ensure the device is not stretched too tightly across the opening, or the bats could be trapped inside your building. On the other hand, if the one-way door is too loose, the bats will be able to re-enter the building, making your work pointless.
Watch+Wait
Now that your one-way doors are installed wait for the bats to leave. They will go to feed at night, but may not leave every night, so allow a few nights for all the bats to leave. If the weather is bad, they may go longer before leaving the roost, so allow extra time if it’s cold or rainy. Check every day to ensure the one-way door remains in place throughout this time.
Seal-Up Entry Points
When you are sure the bats have left, remove the exclusion devices and seal the entrance points. Once this is complete, your property should be completely bat-proofed! If you doubt the success of your work or cannot complete any of the above bat removal steps, it is best to consult a professional bat removal specialist. Above all, you want to avoid trapping bats inside your property as they will die if there is no exit point. When they die inside your building, you will suffer foul odors as they decompose. In addition, you would be unnecessarily harming these valuable animals, and depending on the laws where you live, you could be fined. In addition, to stay on the right side of the law while conducting your bat removal, consider the time of year you carry out the work.
What is the Best Time For Bat Removal?
The best time for bat removal will depend on the state you live in and the time of year you discover a bat infestation, as the laws in each state vary. In many states, there are laws to protect bats during “maternity season,” when bat mothers and their pups (baby bats) are most vulnerable. These laws prohibit bat removal during the months of birth and the weeks before pups leave the roost. In addition, bats should not be disturbed during their winter hibernation months as they will not have the energy to survive at this time. If you need help determining the best time for the exclusion, we recommend you speak with a bat removal specialist. An expert will be familiar with the laws in your state and able to advise you on the best time to remove the bats.
Bat Removal Costs
Why is Bat Removal so Expensive?
There’s no getting around it; bat removal is expensive. Why is this? Consider what you are paying for. Firstly, the work itself is dangerous and requires proper training and skill. Not only does bat work involve working at height, often on ladders or ropes, but technicians also have to deal with bats flying from this height. A professional company will use technicians who have received extensive training to be specialists in bat removal so they can perform the work thoroughly and successfully. More than that, the technicians need access to the right equipment for the job. This includes expensive equipment such as special vacuums with HEPA filters for cleaning up toxic waste like guano. Materials needed for property repairs, like replacement insulation, are additional expenses.
In addition, special equipment and training are needed for the workers to reach all areas of properties to inspect and bat-proof them thoroughly. For example, Get Bats Out technicians are rope access certified. This means they can use rope work to access all points on any size residential or commercial property – even high-rise buildings like hospitals, schools, or tall apartment complexes! Providing training and equipment is costly, as is the insurance for this work. Naturally, bat technicians must receive a salary to reflect this difficult and dangerous work. At Get Bats Out, we also pay for technicians to be rabies vaccinated to ensure they are protected in the case of bat exposure. So, for all these reasons, the costs of bat removal all add up.
Is Bat Removal Covered by Homeowners Insurance?
Not all insurance policies will cover bat removal. However, we have helped many clients to get coverage from their homeowner’s insurance policy. At Get Bats Out, we have a dedicated team of qualified insurance coordinators with the tools, knowledge, and expertise to negotiate with insurers on your behalf. We cannot guarantee your insurer’s response, but many of our clients have been successful in getting coverage for bat exclusion and clean-up.
Cleanup and Restoration
Cleaning up after a bat infestation requires caution due to the harmful waste left behind. A build-up of guano can contain toxic fungal spores (Histoplasma) that become airborne when disturbed and can potentially cause severe respiratory infections if inhaled. Therefore PPE, including a high-grade HEPA mask with a filter, should be worn when removing waste. Small amounts of guano can be sprayed with bleach and then swept up. However, hiring professionals for larger amounts is best, as the risks are higher, and they have specialized clean-up equipment and expertise to do the work safely.
Post-Bat Removal: How to Prevent Bats From Re-Entering Your Home
At first, the bats will try to get back into your home. It’s common to see bats clinging to the outside of the property after the exclusion. They may try several times at intervals before giving up and finding another home. Therefore, you must be vigilant about keeping doors and windows closed, especially just after the exclusion. The last thing you want is for the colony to return one night just because you left a window open. Fitting screens over windows and doors and keeping them closed will allow you to maintain good air circulation but will keep bats out.
How Can You Stop Bats From Getting into Your Home?
Why are Bats Attracted to Your House?
Bats may choose to try and live in your home for several reasons. First, their natural habitat may have been damaged – many bats may have roosted in caves and trees, but if these are disrupted by deforestation or land development, they must search for a place to provide warmth and shelter. Bats often live near bodies of water, as just like us, they need water to survive. Another benefit to choosing a home near a water source is that insects like mosquitos are attracted to these damp areas, so the bats have a steady food supply. This means that if you live near a lake or river, you may see more bats in your area and may have trouble with bats trying to enter your home. If you have lights around your property, you may notice an increase in bats. Bugs are attracted to lights, drawing bats that prey on them. So it may be best to switch the lights off to avoid attracting bats.
Do Bat Deterrents Work?
There are many “home remedies” thought to be effective bat deterrents. These include hanging items with odors considered to be unpleasant to bats, such as garlic, mint, and other herbs. Although bats may not like these scents, there is no evidence that they will stop bats from roosting in your house or drive them to relocate from an established roost.
Many sound-emitting devices are marketed as bat-deterrents. Some people try homemade versions – by playing loud noises thought to be irritating to bats. The ultrasonic devices sold are not audible to humans but emit sound waves at a high frequency heard by bats. These devices are designed to annoy and confuse bats by interfering with their echolocation. This may seem logical, but there is no proof that these work. The bats may get used to the sound and ignore it. If the bats find these sounds irritating, they are more likely to move to another area of your home rather than find a new roost altogether.
How do Bats Enter a House?
Bats can enter homes through openings as small as 3/8 inch, such as gaps around the roofline, windows, or doors, damaged roofs, uncovered chimneys and vents, and crevices. Avoid blocking vents and chimneys, but fitting a chimney cap and mesh covers over vents can stop bats from using them as an entrance. Installing screens over windows will also prevent bats from entering homes through open windows at night.
Bat Houses – Do They Work?
There are mixed opinions about bat houses or “bat boxes.” Installing a bat box does not guarantee that bats will ever use the box, and the success rate varies. Bat conservation enthusiasts often encourage their audience to install bat boxes. However, bat ecologists have identified issues with bat boxes, such as potentially exposing bats to dangerously high temperatures inside boxes and luring them to dangerous areas. Therefore, it’s essential to thoroughly research your design and placement of the bat box if you decide to install one.
While we appreciate the desire to conserve bats and acknowledge their importance to the ecosystem, cohabiting with bats poses real dangers to your health and property. You should consider these dangers when thinking about installing a bat box. Never install a bat box on the side of your home. We recommend placing the bat house at least 100 feet away from any building, closer to a water source than your property, and approximately 12-15 feet high on a pole or tree.
If bats searching for a roost find an entrance in your property, they will likely choose to roost in your house, which provides a good source of warmth and shelter, rather than a bat box. Therefore, installing a bat box should not be seen as the ultimate precaution against bats getting into your home. In addition, if you already have a bat infestation in your property, installing a bat box is no substitute for proper bat removal work. If a bat colony has found warmth and shelter in your home, it will remain there rather than relocate to a bat box outside. Your best option is to contact a professional bat removal company to exclude the bats from your home as soon as possible. You may still want to install a bat box to provide alternative shelter for the bats, but as stated, this should be a safe distance from your property, and of course, there’s no guarantee the bats will decide to use this.
How to Prevent Bats From Entering Your Home
Regularly inspecting properties and sealing small gaps is the best way to prevent bat colonies from entering homes. A professional bat removal company can carry out a thorough inspection of your property and high-quality, effective bat-proofing. In addition, consider turning outside lights off at night, as these can attract bugs, which attract bats. Also, fit tight screens over doors and windows and keep these closed so that bats cannot enter through them.
Professional Bat Removal by Get Bats Out – What We Do
Get Bats Out can provide all the services you need for any size bat removal project. This includes a thorough assessment of your property, whether a small residential property, a large commercial building, or an apartment complex. Our technicians are rope access certified, which means they can reach all areas of the building and roof, including high-rise properties. As detailed above, we use proper exclusion methods by bat-proofing, fitting exclusion devices, and then meticulously sealing all gaps in your property. By using our professional and thorough services, there is far less chance of any holes in your property being missed, and therefore a far smaller risk of reinfestation and further damage to your property. However, we also provide a warranty against re-infestation.
When the time comes for post-bat exclusion cleanup, Get Bats Out technicians are trained and experienced in safe guano removal. Once we have removed and disposed of the waste, we use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and disinfect the area to eliminate harmful spores. We can also perform contaminated air remediation using specialized air-scrubbing machines. We perform air quality testing, taking air samples before and after clean-up to test for Histoplasmosis. This can give you confidence that your home is safe again. We also will assess for property damage and advise you of any concerns about damage to the structure of your building. We will replace any insulation or drywall that has been destroyed.
In addition to these services, our skilled insurance experts are on hand to guide and assist you through talking with your insurance agency. Not all policies cover bat removal, but some will. Our insurance negotiators can advise you on how best to deal with an insurance agency to get the coverage you are owed and can even negotiate with your company on your behalf.
For an in-depth guide to bat removal, download our e-book. If you have any concerns that you may have bats living in your house, contact us today.
Get Bats Out have expertly trained bat removal technicians covering all US states, providing exceptional service to customers nationwide.
The locations we cover include:
Frequently Asked Questions About Bats
I’ve Found a Dead Bat – What Should I Do?
Avoid all unnecessary contact with a dead bat. It may have died from a disease such as rabies or white-nose syndrome. If you need to make contact with a dead bat to remove it from your house, first protect yourself with thick gloves and long-sleeved clothing. Pick up the animal using a plastic bag – so that even your gloves do not come into direct contact with the bat. Seal the dead bat inside two plastic bags. Use disinfectant to spray the bag, and put it in the garbage.
Bats live in groups called colonies, so finding one dead bat in your home could indicate a colony of bats is roosting in your house. Conduct a thorough inspection of your property to check there are no bats in your attic or elsewhere in your home. The best option is to contact a bat removal company to conduct this inspection, as they are experts at this work and have the equipment needed to assess all building areas, including high roofs.
Are Bats Dangerous?
Bats are not usually aggressive unless provoked. For instance, if bats feel stressed or threatened, if they are trapped, or if someone attempts to capture them, they may bite in self-defense. Bat bites occur most frequently when a person attempts to make contact with a bat, such as trying to catch a bat. Although a bat bite is not usually severe, it does pose a serious health risk due to the potential for exposure to rabies which is spread through scratches, bites, and the saliva of infected bats. If bats live in your home, you may also be exposed to Histoplasma spores which grow in the build-up of bat droppings. So having bats in your home is a real danger to your health, not because bats are likely to attack you, but because of the disease risks.
Where do Bats Usually Live?
Bats usually roost in caves, rocks, trees, and manufactured buildings. For example, the largest colony of bats in the world – a colony of approximately 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats – lives in Bracken Cave in Texas. Due to land development and deforestation, many bats have been driven out of their natural habitats. If bats cannot find a natural habitat for their home, they may settle in residential or commercial properties instead.
Is it Hard to Get Rid of Bats?
Getting rid of bats in any property – whether a small home or a large commercial building- is difficult and complex. You aren’t dealing with typical “pests,” as bats are a valued and federally protected species. So traditional pest control methods, such as traps and poison, are illegal. The only lawful and proven effective way to get rid of bats is by exclusion, which takes time, and meticulous attention to detail. If bat exclusion is done thoroughly, preferably by someone with skill, experience, and the right equipment, you can successfully get rid of bats.