Will bats leave on their own?

A single bat in your house is rarely a cause for alarm and is usually just a lost or confused bat. In most cases, the “lost bat” will try to locate a way out and get out on its own.

Will bats leave on their own?

A single bat in your house is rarely a cause for alarm and is usually just a lost or confused bat. In most cases, the “lost bat” will try to locate a way out and get out on its own. If you're trying to do it yourself, your goal is to allow the bats to go alone but prevent them from returning. Do this only when there are no dependent offspring, not during the period between May and August.

Many states specifically prohibit excluding bats when raising offspring. The process of eliminating bats can take several days or even months. This is because bats are not caught. Instead, they are allowed to go out on their own and are prevented from returning to their nest.

Because bats have everything they need in the attic, they can stay and reproduce longer to form a large colony. In fact, they'll live for generations if nothing is done, so don't assume they're going to vacate voluntarily. Instead, be proactive and find a way to get rid of these animals as soon as possible. Exclusion is the process of helping bats get out, but then blocking all entry points so they can't enter.

Not only are they inhumane because they slowly kill bats when they die of hunger, but they put any animal, including pets, at risk if they touch it, and dead animals can also transmit odors and diseases. Any bite or scratch from a bat should require a quick visit to the doctor or emergency room to be tested for rabies and, if needed, treated. Bats need a nesting site that is protected from inclement weather and that is dark and warm during the day while they sleep. Keep in mind that most states have individual laws that protect certain species of bats when they sleep.

Many homeowners who recognize the value of having bats working for insect control will choose to build a bat house at the time of eviction, hoping that bats will find it and use it or occupy it when they return next spring. Smaller bats have a wingspan of a few inches and a body the size of a human thumb, like the common brown bat. It's likely that a single bat in your house got there by mistake and is probably as desperate to leave as you are to take it away. While bats sometimes move on their own, it's very likely that a colony of sleeping bats will return to the same resting place year after year.

Depending on the health risks and the size of the bat infestation, CDC generally recommends the professional removal of wildlife. To successfully remove bats from your home, you'll need to follow the same procedure that professional wildlife control uses. For most migratory bat species in the northeast, they leave colonies to go to winter hibernation sites before the first week of September, but some species (large brown bats are a good example) hibernate in buildings during the winter. Excluding bats will require work that can range from installing meshes to more complex home repairs, and some parts of the process could require maintenance staff skills.

Most commercial and industrial property owners choose professional bat control for safety reasons and because properties tend to be larger, meaning solutions need to be expanded. True to its name, the small brown bat looks a lot like the large brown bat, but is smaller and has a more pointed nose.