Bat Control for Your Home and Property

Wondering if that smell you have been noticing or the sound you have been hearing is a bat or, worse yet, a colony of bats in your home? There are some key signs to be on the lookout for, as well as ways to exclude them from your home in the future.

Red Flags that Your Home Has Bats

Many homeowners call for our services when they see a bat on the outside of their home attempting to make entry, or maybe even when the bat has made its way in and is causing chaos as it frantically hunts for a way out. These are two obvious signs that your home has become a resting place for this species, but there are other clues as well.Other than actually spotting a bat in or around your home, there are some other signs homeowners should inspect for if they suspect a bat invasion. One of the major signs is caused by bat guano, or droppings. Bat droppings are foul in odor and can be obvious by visual inspection of areas such as chimneys, attics, eaves, and overhangs.Another sure sign that you may have a bat colony in your home are stains at entry points and exits around your home including small openings in the chimney or attic roof. Bats have a layer of grease on their coats that wipes off on surfaces they touch so be aware if you see stains on the entry or exits of your home. In addition to stains, look for tiny scratches where the bats may be moving around.

Why Some Homes Appeal to Bats

According to OldHouse online, bats are often attracted to older homes because they offer so many potential entry points. Chimneys, cracks or holes in the siding or soffits, louvered vents with loose screening, separating flashing, and just about any place where materials have shrunk, warped, or moved apart will invite bats to enter and make themselves at home. Bats need just a tiny crack-about 3/8 by 1 inch to enter a house, and can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter. If your home has any of these characteristics, then it too may be a lure to a colony looking for a haven.

Bat Exclusion For Your Home

In the Northeast, we mainly have two bat species that come in contact with humans on a regular basis. These species are the Little Brown and the Big Brown bat. Remember that bats are an ecologically beneficial species, but their presence in homes can be harmful to our health. Bats can carry rabies, a virus that is almost always fatal unless treated early. Bat droppings can also harbor histoplasmosis spores. Histoplasmosis can cause serious respiratory problems in those exposed.Since it is inhumane, usually illegal, and definitely impractical to kill a colony of bats roosting in one's home, our team of wildlife specialists will perform what is called a bat exclusion on your home. During this process our specialists will seal off all possible entry points on your home or business, installing what are called one-way doors over areas that bats are actively using. These one-way doors will allow the bats to leave the structure at night when they go to feed but prevent them from returning. We also offer a warranty with our bat exclusion work to ensure that they never find their way back into your home.Contact our specialists by calling 800.287.4321 or via our website contact page.