Bats always get a bad rap in pop culture; they seem to show up in movies and TV shows when someone is screaming and swatting the air as the bat flies around their head. This method may feel like, instinctually, the best approach to bat control, but it looks pretty silly and does not get a lot accomplished.

These small, furry creatures are our friends and are not aggressive, but they are wild animals, and chances are, you don’t want to let them move in with you. A professional from CP Bat Mitigation should be able to safely and humanely remove these pests without using poison and with minimal disturbances.

Bat Basics

Bats are small nocturnal flying mammals. The National Park Services state that there are more than 50 species of these critters that help to pollinate, control insect populations, and support the larger overall ecosystem.

Most large groups of bats are female, as the males roost alone. They prefer warmer weather and hibernate in the colder winter months.  Many people believe that they are blind, but that is false.

They do, however, use echolocation to help them hunt and navigate. Echolocation is a high-pitched tone that bats emit that is incomprehensible to the human ear. They use this like a sonar during their nightly hunts to help them navigate.

Identify A Bat Problem

Common signs of a bat infestation include:

• Bat Droppings
• Odor due to urine and droppings
• The sound of wings at dusk
• Sighting of a bat

DIY Bat Inspection:

• Look high; bats chose tall buildings or trees, so they are safe from predators
• Urine streaks in walls or a large collection of feces
• Watch at dusk, and you may see the entrance and exit locations
• Look in the attic, and the chimney, as these are common residential roosting locations

Bat Control

Bat control is tricky. These small creatures seem scary but play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Harming or poisoning them is not the correct approach, as bats are our friends, and they are protected.

They are insectivores, meaning they eat bugs like mosquitoes and moths. The work they do every night adds up to 3.7 billion worth of pest control a year in the United States. They are also a significant food source for other, larger animals such as hawks, owls, and even raccoons. They are a big part of the larger ecosystem and are crucial to keeping it balanced.

Damages Caused By Bats

As helpful as these guys are, they can cause some issues. When large groups of bats roost together, it can cause major structural damage to homes and buildings. These little guys may seem small, but a large group can weigh enough to collapse an attic.

They can also be quite noisy even though they use echolocation to find their food and navigate their way around. Large populations of bats flying in and out at dusk and dawn can be a considerable nuisance in residential areas.

How To Get Rid Of Bats Outside Of Your House

There is no 100% effective form of bat repellent. Your first step is prevention. You want to keep bats from roosting on the exterior of your home, in your yard, or on abandoned structures near your home.

Try to cut off available food supplies and shelter. Bats like to snack on bugs, like mosquitos and gnats, so fumigation is a great start. Next, comb through your property for abandoned structures.

Old rotting trees, firewood, and sheds or garages are all free hotels for these small critters. If you remove things that make your home look inviting to bats, it will make them less likely to set up shop in the first place and can encourage them to leave if they have already moved in.

How To Know When It’s Time To Call A Professional

It’s time to call a professional if you want to remove an existing colony of bats that has already established a home near you. If you’ve already tried to prevent them from congregating, or if you found them too late to do so, the best thing to do is to seal the area off and remove them individually. This action is called ‘excluding the colony.’

It is crucial that you do this correctly because an incorrect attempt could lead to the bats swarming in your home or, worse, dead bats rotting in your walls. A professional will be able to find all points of entry, safely remove the bats, prevent them from coming back, and remove droppings.

Risks Of DIY Bat Control

Humans need to be careful around these little guys as they carry rabies and are linked to other infections and diseases. In the United States, bats are the number one transmitter of rabies. It could be because humans are more susceptible to the strain they carry, or it could be a result of people being less cautious around these smaller animals than they would be around larger ones.

It’s essential to leave a damaged bat alone if you find one. It doesn’t mean to hurt you but you can lash out in fear and self-defense if threatened. If the colony was poisoned, it could cause the deceased bat to become stuck or lost in the walls.

That, along with incomplete or incorrect feces removal, can lead to smell and health concerns. Their urine and droppings can corrode wood and metal. Not to mention a fungal infection of the lungs called Histoplasmosis, which is caused by breathing in the fungus that grows on droppings.

Bats are helpful animals but not ones you want in your home or workspace. They can cause structural damage and health concerns, but removing them yourself can prove dangerous for you as well as the bats.

It’s critical that a knowledgeable individual does bat control. So, before you climb on a chair to start swatting at a bat in your kitchen, give the professionals a call.  We will assess your situation and give you a free estimate. We have over ten years of experience in removing bats in Omaha safely, effectively, and ethically.