It’s dusk and you are walking Fluffy before turning in for the night. As you approach your front door you hear high pitched squeaking as something flutters past you. In the fading light you try to make out just what the creature was, noticing that there is more squeaking and fluttering as bird like animals fly around your home in swooping arcs. However, as you observe the flight pattern you realize these aren’t birds: they’re bats. Now the question becomes what are they doing around your home?
If you see bats around your home or in it, there are only a couple of reasons for their presence. As with any other wild animal or household pest, they choose to cohabitate with humans for three reasons: Harborage, food, and water. If they have chosen your attic or outbuilding as a roosting spot it is likely because they have discovered that your home or property is a fertile food source. In other words, if you see bats around your home it could indicate that you have a pest problem.
There are a lot of misconceptions about bats. They are not rodents; they are mammals. They do not attack humans. In fact, they prefer to avoid humans. However, sick or injured bats may not have any fear of humans. They are not aggressive and less than 1% of bats ever contract rabies. They will bite if they feel threatened so never try to catch a bat or pet it, especially with your bare hands.
Bats are nocturnal, meaning they roost during the day and leave their roost in the evening to hunt insects. They are nature’s little exterminators. And, yes, they are little. There are only two species of bats that you would typically see around or in homes: the little brown bat and the big brown bat. The little brown bat is only around 3 inches or so when roosting and they weigh less than a half an ounce. Their wingspan gives them a deceptively large appearance as it can be up to 10 inches across. Big brown bats are around a half an ounce and are about 4.5 inches long when roosting, but their wingspan can be up to 13 inches across.
The real problem with bats is that they aren’t housebroken and that can lead to some major issues. Bat droppings, called guano, can cause health issues in humans, bats can get into the living area of a home, bat infestations left unchecked can lead to damage to the home as the weight of the guano can affect the attic floor/living quarters ceiling. The guano can also attract insects into the home. In other words, you really don’t want bats living in your house.
You can keep bats out of your home by sealing their entry points. However, this needs to be done after dark, when the bats have left their roost to hunt. You also need to make sure all the bats are out of your home or you could find yourself sharing your living quarters with a frantic, disoriented bat that is desperate to get outside. Evicting bats from your home does not necessarily mean that they won’t still hang around your home though. If your yard is still a veritable buffet they could continue their nightly visits.
As with any other pest problem, the best way to get rid of bats is to take away their food source. That is where we come in. While Preventive Pest Control does not do bat exclusion, we can treat your home and yard to get rid of the insects that are attracting bats to your home in the first place. We are proud to offer affordable, fast and reliable pest control services. Give us a call and one of our knowledgeable, friendly technicians will inspect your home and property then advise you on the best course of action for getting rid of roaches, spiders, mosquitoes, and other household pests. Isn’t it time to send those bats packing?