How to get rid of bats and save your sanity Try a bat removal device or repellent. A bat excluder works very well if you know where bats come in. If in doubt, call a professional. To remove them, identify their entry and exit points, making sure not to seal them while the bats are inside.
Killing them is both inhumane and will create an uninhabitable environment due to the smell of a colony of decaying bats. However, while many companies and media experts suggest using a bat repellent, New England Today states that there is really no effective repellent for this type of creature if it is expected to be a long-term solution. Instead, they point out that repellents can work for a while, but you'll still need a permanent way to fix this particular problem. When bats move into your house, they don't worry about being tidy guests.
In fact, they can end up leaving an incredibly unpleasant mess. That's why Jim Dreisacker of Westchester Wildlife told This Old House that it's not enough to take out the animal, you also have to eliminate the smell. This is because getting rid of the smell is not only a matter of making you and your family feel better, but it's also an important part of preventing bats from catching the smell and trying to return. It is also important to clean bat droppings in a particular way.
If you want to buy a bat house, Bat Conservation International explains that it must be made of wood without cloth or mesh, it must offer the animals pads on which to land, as well as boards to stay comfortable, and it must be 24 inches high by 16 inches wide or more to make it still spacious enough Stay at the right temperature. If you want to make a bat house, Bat Conservation International also has designs for a four-chamber bat house and rocket boxes that you can download. Where should you install your bat house? The National Wildlife Federation points out that it's best to choose a place that reminds bats of the kind of cozy space they naturally slip into, such as the pocket between the outer bark of a tree and the tree trunk inside. Bat Conservation & Management adds that your bat house should be in a place that gets a lot of sun (about seven hours a day) and be high above the ground (10 feet or more).
Once you have the bat house in place, the animals can leave your house forever. According to World Birds, bats usually prefer an optimal temperature range of approximately 80 to 90 degrees. Heating the attic to an uncomfortable temperature for uninvited guests can make it inhospitable and help expel them. You'll want to raise the temperature of the bat's nest to more than 100 degrees to effectively evacuate it.
Electronic360 reports that bats are nocturnal and are not big fans of artificial light. This is especially true when it comes to white and green lights that tend to affect your behavior more. Use this to your advantage and illuminate your attic with bright white or green light bulbs. You can also use strobe lights that point to the ceiling to create an inhospitable nesting atmosphere (via Bird Sphere).
A bat can hide anywhere in the house, depending on how and where it entered. If a bat crashed into the chimney, it could escape through the chimney duct and fly into your living spaces. If you entered through an opening in your roof, it could be hidden in the corners of your attic. Many sources recommend closing doors to prevent bats from entering your home's living space.
This may be due to the tendency of bats to follow airflows inside homes. It's also possible for bats to get stuck between walls. That said, don't assume that the noises that come from your walls are bats, as there are many things that can “crash” at night. In most cases, municipal animal control departments don't remove bats from homes.
If you have questions about bat disposal policies in relation to your city or county, contact your local Animal Control office. Skedaddle Wildlife notes that bats can cause minor discomfort, such as irritating noises, as well as significant problems, such as causing health problems for you and your family due to diseases that may be present in animal faeces (or guano) and the fact that bats can transmit rabies. If your attempts to get rid of bats that have crouched in your attic haven't been successful, then it might be a good idea to hire a professional. Even before considering eviction, check with your state's wildlife agency to make sure you know what laws should be followed, as well as to get a specific idea of when it's safe to exclude bats in your area.
Depending on the health risks and the size of the bat infestation, CDC generally recommends the professional removal of wildlife. Bats looking for a bit of adventure, or even simply following the flow of fresh air at night, can reach your attic and not be able to escape. Ongoing tests have shown that large brown bats are significantly more likely to transmit rabies than small brown bats. It is never recommended to touch bats, as they can carry rabies and other pathogens that can cause diseases.
In addition, bat droppings may contain pathogens that can cause histoplasmosis, an infection that can be serious if left untreated. They may also be attracted to outdoor areas and gardens with a bat house, plants that bloom at night, a stream and fragrant flowers. Many nectar-eating bats can also see ultraviolet light, which helps them locate flowers at night. In fact, according to Bat Conservation International, bats consume about 1,200 mosquito-sized insects per hour, and some species disperse seeds, pollinate plants and feed on beetles that destroy crops.
Bats are attracted to a habitat that has food, water, constant temperatures and shelter from predators. . .
