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How to Get Rid of Bats

November 21st, 2009 by admin
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4. Getting Rid of Bats in Structures

Before we begin the process of removing them from your property, you should check your local ordinances as it is illegal to disturb roosts, trap and/or kill bats in many areas. This guide will not tell you how to kill bats, but it will tell you how to get rid of them.

I. Where Are They Roosting?

If you’ve got bats living on your property and you want them out, the first thing you need to do is determine where they are roosting. Grab a chair and sit outside a few evenings with an eye to the sky. Are they in the trees? Around your house? Your neighbors houses? Make a list of every place they may be roosting based on your observation.

The next step is to go out during the day and examine closely all of the structures you’ve identified as possible roosting areas. Make a list of every opening larger than 1/2" in diameter and keep an eye out for telltale signs of bat habitation. You may notice dark, pellet-like droppings on walls and around areas where they roost as well as dark smudges and stains in places which they come into direct contact.

II. Allow Them to Leave, But Not Get Back In

Little BatOnce their potential hiding places have been determined, it’s time to start ushering them out. Unfortunately, if your bats prefer trees there’s not much you can do to get rid of them other than removing the trees themselves (Tips on how to get rid of a tree). As for the list of openings you made in the last step, DO NOT go immediately out and seal them all up as you will trap many bats inside of the roost and end up with dead, rotting bats in hard to reach spaces which will cause even more problems with odors and pests. Be wary of the time of year you do this too - Maternity season for bats in the United States and Canada ranges from late April to late August and the roost may still contain babies that are unable to leave on their own. Roosts are almost never empty so you need to attach devices to these areas that allow the bats to exit, but not re-enter. Devices that accomplish this are called “Excluders” and can be purchased or made yourself. Making them yourself is easily accomplished by purchasing a length of tight-meshed netting, screen, or cloth and placing it over the opening, attaching it at the top so it forms a ‘flap’ over the entrance. This will allow the bat to push its way out, but will not allow it to get back in. Instructions for building exclusion devices for every possible type of nook and cranny can be found a Bat Conservation International.

III. Seal All Entrances

Once you have all of the entrances fitted with an exclusion device, wait 7-10 days for all of the bats to leave before permanently sealing the openings. Use steel wool, cement, caulk, hardware cloth or plating. Do not use expanding foam – it is toxic and may kill any bats that return and come into contact with it when trying to re-enter.

Poisons

The use of poison is not recommended as you will soon have tons of dead bats littering your home and property which will not only stink, but invite all sorts of pests and make you miserable until the mess has been cleaned up. It will increase the likelihood of a local child or animal coming into contact with one, and as mentioned in the first paragraph if this section, might be illegal.

5. How to Keep Bats Out of Your Property

If you don’t yet have a problem with bats and you’re more interested in preemptive bat-proofing, the best first step is to contact your local animal control or wildlife conservation agency for assistance or instructions specific to your geographical area. The most important step will usually be the elimination of any potential entry points. Scour the exterior of you home and nearby structures for openings 1/2" or larger, and then seal them all completely with steel wool, hardware cloth, screens, netting, plating, or silicone caulk.

Deterrents and Repellents

Environmental Deterrents

If you have some areas that you just can’t seal up, but want to discourage bats from taking up residence, do your best to make it look less desirable by mounting lights, hanging aluminum foil, balloons, windsocks, wind chimes (Tips on how to make a wind chime suncatcher), or other highly visible and mobile objects that will make the area appear bright, loud or busy.

Dog and Cat Repellent Sprays

Cat and dog repellent sprays are only temporary measures best used in small areas like overhangs and awnings where the occasional lone bat is encountered.

Ultrasonic and Electronic Repellent Devices

Ultrasonic devices are completely ineffective against bats. Visit your favorite shopping site that offers product reviews such as Amazon.com, read a few of the reviews on these devices and you will see just how many people used them unsuccessfully.

Moth Balls (Naphthalene)

Naphthalene has been recommended as a bat repellent and it does work – however, it must be used in such huge quantities as to create a considerable health hazard to humans and other animals. Don’t use it.

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    1. MaryLou Pyle Says:

      We have been having a moldy smell in our house for about 3 weeks. We finally cut into the drywall in our living room and found bat guano in between two studs, from the bottom to the top imbedded in the insulation. The poop has become moldy, which made us believe we had a water problem and possibly a leak somewhere. Anyway, has anyone ever had this problem and how do you rid your house of the smell? Any suggestions as to how we can be sure this is the only place we have a problem.

    2. pat Says:

      I had problem of a female colony nesting.I heard their noise one day and mistook it for baby birds nesting.Next day I removed the opening cover where the wall met the overhang(plastic eaves had not been installed correcrtly…overlapping and interlocked)WHAT WORKED for me was allowing sunlight to enter their nesting area and sprayed wasp/hornet killer.Dozens left fast.Basically left 3 small openings(1 in middle and each end of eaves for remaining to leave at dusk.Then I closed openings up till the next night.I have repeated this 4-5 nights and have used a water hose to chase those returning and trying to get back in.Good luck.

    3. george w bush Says:

      The old white house I used to live in had bats. now my wife and i live in texas and we hired an exterminator. i only wish we’d have done this in our old white house.

    4. Robert Leach Says:

      The old house I live in is lousy with bats. If they stay up in the attic, no problem. Last night, I found one in my kitchen for the first time. Now there’s a problem. Time to get a net.

    5. ratherhaveskeeters Says:

      It’s not always illegal to kill bats, and often only certain kinds. Check locally for your specific regulations. I can shoot brown bats all day long where I live. They are NOT cute cuddly creatures like the radical animal lovers tell you. They and their feces can carry very dangerous diseases and in my opinion they are simply flying rats! Are we sorry to kill rats in your house?

    6. squirmy Says:

      Get a airsoft gun. Good moving target practice.

    7. Steve Hesselton Says:

      My girlfiend woke up the other night to a BAT and freaked out as if she was having a heart attack! I had to rent her a hotel for a few nights while my friends and I stayed at the house with a six pack camping and waiting for the little stinker to show up again. Well, he didn’t show up, just when she’s here! How do you find where the bat is coming from? I live in Worcester, MA, does anyone know a good exterminator? I hope that they aren’t breeding in my attic or something… oh man, I’m hoping I find his ass tonight!!!

    8. nancy Says:

      To all the folks on this message board, please know that killing bats is ILLEGAL so try to find an alternative to getting rid of them. Call a reputable pest control company that will relocate them & seal their point of entry. I know it costs money but in the long run it will be worth it. Killing a single bat or several will not prevent more of them from entering your living space.

    9. nancy Says:

      To Shameer Mohamed. I don’t understand your post. Did the building you moved into was vacant for a year & a half? If so you may have a colony of bats since most empty buildings not habitated by humans for long periods tend to attract bats & other critters. In this case your only option (honestly) is to get a professional to deal with this situation. Bats are very territorial & will return to their roost even if transported miles away unless their point of entry is blocked. Unless you know where they are entering (100%) they will find a way in. I know what I’m talking about because I study bats for a living. Please know that about 1% of bat population are rabid, however do not approach a bat flying around your home without protection especially if it seems sickly or combatative. If at all possible & if you’re not too scared open a door & try to get him out. If that is not an option I hate to suggest this but for your safety use a big towel & hit it, they are easily brought down. I don’t advocate killing them, however if you have no other means (financially) of getting them out that may be your only recourse. Good luck & hope it turns out out well. Almost all bats I have studied (big/small brown bats) are very timid & avoid human contact unless they get confused with their surroundings & inadvertently invade your living area. That said, if the living area was previously empty they may consider it their domain. This info. is not meant to scare people but I can understand how frustrating it is to have one of these little stinkers flying around your house at night. Trust me I have been there.

    10. Shameer Mohamed Says:

      There is bats in our building is was look up for a year and half and i really need to get rid of them can u help me thanks

    11. Milton Reams Says:

      We have bats in our house we can’t see them but we can here them in the walls. We saw them at night once. They were coming out from some where but we couldn’t tell were or how many are in the house. We can’t open anything because we don’t know where they are. I would really much appreciate if someone comes and help me get rid of these bat so me and my family can go on with ours live.

    12. nancy Says:

      we had a bat get in the attic and came to the second floor flew around all night i was scard to death.is there something i can put up there they do not like?HELP PLEASE

    13. Brendan Madden Says:

      I live in N.California and have Bats entering between boards of eaves. there are droppings from March until November but none December to March, does this mean they have left or are they hibernating and do not come outside to produce droppings, I want to close gaps but do not want to trap them insideBrendan

    14. Felice Says:

      I live in Mexico, my house is made of cement, I live in the Jungle with plenty of trees, I have a large home with overhangs all around, I have tried sound devices, lights, fans, balloons, chemicals the farmers use on their animals to keep bats off. The bats are runing the looks of my home with bat poop and pee not to mention the daily clean up I have to do which is a LOT. I just don’t know what else to try, the high pitched machines do not work. PLEASE HELP. They cannot get inside the house, only the eves outside and ALL year around. Thanks, Felice

    15. Peter Says:

      United Bat Control helped us remove a colony of bats from our wharehouse. They were great and they will you suggestions also. I recommend them highly!

    16. kat-a-lack Says:

      Our warehouse has bats. We leave a lot of lights on. If they are in your basement, try that. They also have to jump from something high in order to fly. So, if they are on the ground you’re ok. Also a butterfly or fishing net is good to catch them mid-flight. If you buy or build bat boxes (hang em high in a tree or on a post)they will live in those outside instead of in your house. Bats are endangered so you may get fined if caught killing them. If you can locate the entrance they are using (usually has black smudges near it)you can cover it with a flap. That way they can get out at night. They climb back to the entrance usually and they will not be able to find it if there is a flap over it.
      We have a huge 4 story, cinder block wall full of thousands of them! We cannot find or get to all the entrances. The expanding foam keeps them out or in. They also hate bleach…..fyi. And Ocean Insect spray! Goodluck!!

    17. J Reed Says:

      Need Help: We “lost” the bat we had in our house last night. We have all the rooms shut off that we know where it isn’t. It was last seen flying in the hallway but cannot locate after much searching in the middle of the night and turning lights on. How do we flush out the bat or do we just have to wait it out until it decides to appear again and wake us up? Any info appreciated.

    18. nancy Says:

      Hi Andrea. I have the same problem. The attick is usually where they prefer to live, however if it gets cold they will find a place more condusive to their environment, a warm basement. I have been studying bats for years yet I can’t bring myself to get rid of them in my own house. If you want to stop them from invading your home please call people that are qualified to remove them humanely otherwise you may be stuck with these little stinkers forever……they tend to come back. Including their babies. Good luck kiddo. As for me I tried to get rid of the 2 bats I have & they are not going anywhere yet. Some expert I am, right? Take care & know that less than 1% of bats carry rabies. Some misinformed person here stated that bats are responsible for 50% of rabies or something like that. Like what??? I guess he missed National Geographic Special on RABIES?????

    19. craig siegfried Says:

      How can I get rid of bats that are living behind my shutters I live in Pa. The second floor of my house has Louvered shutters there are 11 windows 22 shutters. not all shutters have bats living behind them but most do.If I chase them out they just come back or move to another shutter.Putting a mesh around the shutters would take alot of time and look pretty ugly.They are destroying the new paint job on my house.I do know my neighbors would not like seeing a bat house in my yard and their mess is disgusting.Please Help Thank You

    20. Jerry in SA, TX Says:

      I have bats in my attack. I constructed a double bat house, capable of hausing 500. They ignore the bat house and roost in my attack instead. I’ve heard there is a device that makes a noise bats don’t like. I would like to get one if I knew where to look.

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