According to home and garden expert, HGTV, many gardeners appreciate the free pest control provided by bats. However, this cause for gratitude does not mean that these same individuals would actually welcome bats inside of their homes. Consequently, even individuals who value bats for helping reduce mosquito populations or save their veggies from other pests will still be on the lookout for any signs of bats in their houses. In this guide, learn more about where you might find signs of bats and why, as well as signs of bat infestations.
What are some general signs of bats in the house?
Whether you are dealing with a single bat or a bat infestation, your senses are key in identifying signs of bats in the house. For example, you might see a bat in the house or see this creature leaving or flying around your house, often at dawn or dusk. Other visual evidence includes stains from bats’ body oils that may appear brown or black, as well as their fecal droppings. Unfortunately, your nose might also be triggered by these waste pellets, since a strong scent, similar to ammonia, often accompanies them. If squeaking noises differ from the ones made by your dog’s rubber toy or sounds like swishing, shuffling or scratching are heard, your ears may be hearing signs of bats in the house.
How can you tell if you have bats in your attic?
Although signs of bats can appear on any level of the house, these intruders are most commonly found in attics. On any other floors or in the basements, bats may be present on their way into the home or because they have escaped from their roosts in the walls or elsewhere in the house. Here are two main reasons why signs of bats in the attic tend to be most prevalent:
- Appealing environment: This location tends to be the most consistently warm. It also may receive minimal if any use depending on the size of the space. Consequently, attics tend to be the kind of warm, dark and private spaces that bats prefer.
- Available security: Attics provide a measure of security for bats. In addition to the appealing interior conditions, small entry points in the roof or eaves make it easy for them to access outside food sources but offer protection from other predators or the weather during colder months.
Given an attic’s potentially attractive conditions, the likelihood of seeing, hearing or smelling a bat infestation is most likely in or near this part of the house. Especially if attics are relatively unused, a bat infestation may grow before a homeowner even realizes that they have taken over. Consequently, routine pest inspections and awareness regarding the signs of bats in the attic are essential in protecting your home against their invasion.
What are the signs of a bat infestation in the house?
A single bat is unlikely to provide the sensory signs typical of this pest or, at least, not in the quantity or frequency that may be immediately apparent. However, signs of a bat infestation in the attic may quickly become noticeable, even if people don’t frequent that location. Often, bedrooms are located on the floor below the attic. How to tell if you have bats in your attic may be as easy as one sleepless night in which you hear their movements or other noises. Additionally, finding a bat on the main floor of the house may be due to an accidental entry via an open door or window. However, such an event is more likely when there is a bat infestation in the home or nearby. Similarly, bats in flight may be more noticeable and piles of droppings or guano may accumulate faster near windows or porches or in attics, when there are a greater number of bats present.
What are the dangers of bats in the house?
Signs of bats in the house are problematic because they endanger the health of its intended inhabitants and the structure of the home. Bats can transmit diseases like rabies and the hantavirus and carry parasites like fleas and ticks into the home. Their excrement can also contaminate items and may even attract other pests to your home, such as cockroaches.
What should you do to help prevent signs of bats in the attic or elsewhere in the house?
Strategies for prevention are the best way to reduce the chances of finding signs of bats in the house. In homes where attics are less frequented, yearly attic cleanouts can help ensure that no bats are present and also address conditions that may be conducive to their infestation, like easy access points. From basement to attic, use of pest exclusion guards means that there is a barrier between you and your loved ones and any pests or wildlife seeking entry. Fortunately, as part of an annual pest inspection, the local extermination expert near you can recommend suitable preventative measures tailored to your home. Additionally, these strategies may be employed or encouraged following a bat infestation removal to ward off bats or other unwanted critters in the future.
Have you seen, smelled or heard signs of bats in the house? Do you want to avoid having to figure out how to tell if you have bats in the attic? Contact the bat removal professionals at Eliminate ‘Em for prevention guidance and bat infestation solutions. Our service team is available 24/7 on every single day of the year, so we are standing by when signs or suspicions of bats have emerged. For immediate assistance or to schedule another service, contact us today!
