Residential Pest Control – Bats
Get Rid of Bats.
A Bat Problem in Your Home?
Most people associate bats with sucking blood. While some do suck blood, the more dangerous aspect to humans is their feces and bites. If you have a bat infestation, you need to learn a little more about the type of bat you have and then learn how to get rid of it. Once you get the bats out of your home, you need to work then to prevent them from getting back in.
How To Prevent Bats from Getting Into Your Home?
Most bats that get onto homes are just looking for a place to stay during the day. They do not like light and prefer the dark, coolness of an attic. They usually leave at night to hunt for food.
The only real way to keep bats out of your home is to ensure they can not get in. You should check your roof area for holes or spaces where they could get in and seal them off. Also check your chimney to make sure it has no holes or openings and that your chimney trap is working properly. You can seal the holes with the material of your choice. Bats can not chew through materials to get in. Before sealing, you should ensure all the bats inside have left. The best time is at night when they will leave to hunt. Bats do not like fiberglass insulation, so if you do not have any installed in your attic, you may consider doing so if bats are a huge problem. You can also leave on the lights or use a fan in the area as this will deter bats also. Some bird repellents will also work to keep bats away when it is applied to the area around entrances.
While bats can be harmful, they generally only create a nuisance. They are quite helpful because they eat other pests that you may not want in your home. If you have bat problems, you may want to call a professional who can help you best deal with your situation.
The chances are that you do not have ‘bats in your belfry’ as the saying goes, but you may have bats in your home! They love hanging around in attics, unfinished upper floors, closets, and behind draperies. There are a number of types of bats.
If it has taken you a while to figure out that you have a bat living with you, you may, in fact, have more than one bat living in your home. If you see the bat and lose track of it, don’t assume it somehow got out of the house. Check behind curtains and anything hanging on the walls. Bats can squeeze into very tight spaces. Look on the floor underneath furniture and tables. NEVER put your hand into a space to check for the bat. You do not want to risk being bitten! It is important to know that, while most bats do NOT have rabies, about 1% DO have rabies. So you must be very careful in trapping and removing the bat(s). If you have a pet, your pet is likely to find the bat before you find it, so you should of course be sure that your pets are all vaccinated against rabies (even if they NEVER go outside).
What to Do When a Bat Flies Around in Your Home!
If a bat is flying around your house, you should REMAIN CALM. You do not have to run out of the room. If you are not trying to attack or grab the bat, it may swoop and swirl around you if you stand in the middle of the room – so DON’T. Go stand in a corner, or walk calmly to the door and stand in the doorway with the door open slightly to watch the bat’s motion, so you will see where it goes to hide.
Once you know where the bat is hiding, you can strategically work to get the bat into as small an area as possible (near a door or window) and then open that door or window so the bat can fly outside. It may take as long as 15-20 minutes for the bat to come out of hiding and use the exit you have provided. The smaller area to which the bat is confined, the more likely it will immediately take the exit you have provided.
It may fly around the room for a while to use its orientation senses, and then, when it senses an opening and fresh air, it will leave the premises.
Capturing Bats
If the bat lands and you feel up to the challenge, you can use a large plastic or glass container to trap the bat. Wear a pair of very thick leather gloves to ensure you will not be bitten. Slowly put the container over the bat, then slide a very thin piece of cardboard or a stiff piece of construction paper underneath the opening to the jar or container to trap the bat inside. Carry the container outside, and well away from the house, and place the container up against a tree. Remove the cardboard or paper and allow the bat to attach to the tree before you slide the container away. Then step well away from the container and let the bat go free. It will probably stay attached to the tree for several minutes while it orients itself to its new surroundings. If you do not feel up to the challenge of trapping the bat yourself, confine the bat to a room or small area and call your local animal control office.
Bat Bites
If you or anyone else in the house is bitten, do NOT release the bat. Instead, call animal control and have the bat tested for rabies. Take the injured person to the doctor for appropriate treatment. ALWAYS remember that any kind of wild animal damage control is risky and may pose a health threat. Follow state laws and do not kill or harm wild animals. If you are unable to handle the problem, call animal control. Do not take chances! The best way to repel and avoid bats in your home is to close off the openings they can use to gain access.
Repellants may have some limited effectiveness, but the long-term solution is prevention.
