The presence of bats in your home is more than just spooky – it can be hazardous to your health. Bats are known to carry rabies and their feces are a breeding ground for a dangerous fungus. For these reasons, bats have earned a reputation as “flying rats”, although they are not actual rodents. Rather, bats are mammals with fairly advanced forearms and forefingers, which help them fly.
Bats consume thousands of insects per day, including mosquitoes, so they’re a key part of the ecosystem. As most bats are nocturnal, they’ll leave at dusk to feed, using sound to navigate and find their prey, and will return before sunrise. By day, they’ll stay within dark, secluded places. During the winter months, certain species may hibernate, while others decide to migrate.
Signs of Bats
There are about 40 bat species in the US, with the most common being the little brown bat, the big brown bat and the Mexican free-tailed bat. With the natural world containing fewer trees and caves than it did centuries ago, bats have started looking for other places to stay – dark and free from disturbances. Your attic looks like the perfect spot – especially if there’s a hole or small crevice for them to pass through.
Bats are often significantly smaller than they look – some just need a half-inch crevice to enter your home! Even if you can’t see them, the following signs point to the presence of bats:
- Accumulation of guano, or feces. These look like rodent feces but will often have remnants of the insect wings they have consumed. You’ll also notice it in piles near their nests.
- White, blackish brown or oily stains on windows, around holes and near crevices.
- Mouse-like droppings under eaves and overhangs.
- Stains and odors from their urine.
- Squeaking, scratching or crawling sounds coming from the attic or walls around dawn and dusk.
If you’re still unsure, look at your home’s exterior at dusk. You might spot bats entering and exiting, especially near attic louvers, facia boards and belfries.
How Hazardous Are Bats?
Bats have been known to spread multiple diseases to humans that are potentially fatal, including:
- Rabies
- Histoplasmosis, a disease affecting the lungs and other organs
- Hemorrhagic fevers
- Nipah and Hendra viruses
- Coronaviruses, a condition resulting in mild respiratory illnesses
- Lyssaviruses, a virus which later causes rabies
Additionally, bat droppings are known to attract roaches, mites and other arthropods that carry disease.
Eliminate ’Em Offers 24/7 Bat Removal in CT, NY, RI & MA
It may seem simple enough to get rid of bats on your own, but capturing one isn’t easy. You run the risk of getting bitten and exposed to rabies. Even if you manage to get the bat out, more could return to roost in your home.
Keep in mind, several states have made it illegal to kill bats for a number of reasons, including its inhumanity, harm to the local ecosystem and endangerment of some species. For these reasons, our pest control strategy involves uncovering all bat hiding places, removing them alive, and finding them a new home. As such, the process tends to be more challenging and may require multiple visits to ensure the bats stay unharmed.
So the bats don’t return, our team works with you to put a long-term prevention strategy in place:
- Repairing any damage to your eaves, roof or chimney that allowed the bats to pass through.
- Identifying and sealing up any access points.
- Controlling mosquito populations, which may have initially attracted the bats.
- Removing any possible roosting areas.
For effective bat removal, leave it to the expert exterminators at Eliminate ’Em. When you request same-day service, our licensed and certified technicians will:
- Remove any bats that are living in your home
- Find and seal any points of entry for bats, so that they don’t come back
- Perform professional sanitation services to rid your house of bat waste
By the time we’ve left, you can rest assured that your bat problem will be gone for good. The Eliminate ‘Em family guarantees you quick, safe and reliable bat removal.
Call Eliminate ‘Em for Immediate Bat Removal: (866) 802-7378
