When it comes to bats, exclusion is really the only means of moving them away from your property. Bats spend so much of their time airborne that it’s challenging to try to trap them. And if you do, then you have to work out what you’ll do with them. Commercial repellents are ineffective, and attempts to poison bats will cause more problems – without getting rid of the bats.
What’s the best method for bat control? Read on to learn more.
EXCLUSION
Bats can’t roost where they can’t access. Exclusion prevents bats from accessing your attic or barn and works even if the bats have already moved in.
- Watch at dusk and dawn to see where the bats are coming and going from.
- Get a ladder, climb up to inspect where the roof and walls meet, and look for any gaps. Signs that bats are using any entry point include brown stains around the entrance, and bat droppings (guano) stuck to the walls below.
- Install exclusion doors over one or two main entries and seal the rest up with mesh or sealant (such as caulk).
- For larger areas, you can also install exclusion netting to deny the bats’ entry.
Exclusion should never be used during maternity season. During this time, the roost will be full of baby bats that are unable to fly and care for themselves. The season runs from mid-April to late August, during which time it is illegal to use exclusion or any other control methods on bats. Once the young have grown old enough to fly, you can legally use exclusion.
REPELLENTS
There aren’t any effective repellents for bats, so don’t waste your money. Any “ultrasonic emitters” or similar devices have already been declared as fraudulent by the Fair Trade Commission, so steer clear.
TRAPPING
Bats are constantly airborne, so standard traps are useless, and homemade traps require just as much time and energy to build as to employ exclusion.
Once you’ve caught the bats, what do you do with them? It is unnecessary and unlawful to kill bats, which means you need to release them and hope that you’ve appropriately sealed your attic so that they don’t return. This is one of the many reasons that it’s better to use the exclusion doors: save yourself the trouble and the bat from potential harm.
CAN I USE POISON?
Poisoning the bats isn’t really an option. There’s no way to get bats to eat the poison (as their diet consists of flying insects), which means that it’s generally delivered through fumigation. However, the bats will crawl away in between the walls to try and escape the gas. This has three outcomes:
- They get stuck between the walls and die
- They come out into your living space, flying around the room in a panic
- They manage to get into the open, sick and distressed
If you want to remove bats from your home but aren’t sure on how to proceed, or your attempts at exclusion haven’t worked, call us and we will take care of the problem for you.
How to Get Bats Out The Attic
In the wild, bats mainly roost in caves and hollow trees. However, they have also learned to take up residence in man-made structures like old buildings, under bridges, and attics.
The attic, in particular, is very attractive because it is not only elevated, but is also warm, and it provides added safety from predators.
But bats in the attic cause lots of problems. Asides from the noise they make, they also leave lots of waste – called guano. Aside from the terrible odor of bat guano, it is also highly corrosive. Hence, it accelerates the deterioration of building materials in the attic.
If you want to protect the integrity of your building, then getting them out is not optional. However, getting rid of bats in the attic is not straightforward. You see, several bat species are endangered, so they are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. This means it is unlawful to kill – or even trap – them.
So, how on earth do you handle a bat infestation? To remove bats in the attic, you need an adept understanding of bat behavior because what you do, how you do it, and when you do it are all important to attain the desired result.
In this article, we walk you through the process our experts at Precise Exterminating Service Inc use to get bats out of the attic.
Step 1: Identify bat species and colony size
For this, you need to inspect your attic. Make sure you wear all protective gear to avoid direct contact with bats or their droppings.
When it comes to the types of bat species, there are two main categories: those that migrate during colder climates and those that hibernate. To make this distinction, you might require a wildlife expert to take a look.
But why is making this distinction important? You see, it’s also illegal to remove bats when they’re hibernating. Hence, exclusion cannot be carried out during this period – and you need to know that.
Step 2: Check for pups.
Female bats give birth to babies in late May or early June. And for the next few weeks, the newborns are helpless and need maternal care. Hence, trying to get rid of bats during this period will only mean you separating mothers from their pups.
And if this happens, the abandoned pups will eventually die, and you’ll have a bigger problem to deal with. So, in summary, bat removal should not take place in the birthing season.
Step 3: Locate all entry holes.
The type of bat species you’re dealing with will determine what qualifies as a potential entry hole. Little brown bats, for instance, are very small and go through small holes. Note that locating these holes can be challenging. That’s why seeking the help of professionals like Precise Exterminating Service Inc is prudent.
Once you’ve identified all the holes, seal them up, leaving only the main entrance.
Step 4: Install an exclusion device.
If you’re dealing with a hibernating bat species, then you might have bat infestation all year long. That’s why exclusion is a must.
Early autumn is the best time to evict bats. At this time, the bats haven’t gone into hibernation yet, and their pups are strong enough to fly.
Install an exclusion device in the last hole you left open in the previous step. As bats escape through this device, they are unable to get back in. With time, all the bats will leave your attic.
Step 5: Seal the last hole
After all the bats have gone, you can remove the exclusion device and close up the final hole.
Note that for migrating bat species, all you need to do is wait for them to migrate. Then you should locate all potential entry holes and seal them up so they are unable to get back in.
Step 6: Cleanup and Repairs
It’s important to clear out bat guano from your attic because of its terrible odor, the structural damages it causes, and also the health risk it poses. Ensure that you are well-protected. Put on hand gloves and wear a nose mask to avoid inhaling fungal spores in bat guano.
Scrap up the droppings in a trash bag and dispose of them properly. Also, decontaminate the entire space with an enzyme-based cleaner. And don’t forget to carry out all necessary repairs.
Conclusion
As you can see, getting bats out of the attic can get complicated real quick? But you can always trust Precise Exterminating Service Inc to take the burden off your shoulders as we seamlessly resolve your bat infestation.