Bats in the Attic and the Need for Help

Bats are great for the environment.  They help keep local insect populations down as they feast under the watch of the man on the moon.  They pose very little threat to humans, unless they are pooping in your attic.  Then you have a serious problem and a great need for professional help.

Habitat 

Bats are common in areas where there are natural or man-made water sources.  They provide the environment needed for the bats main diet, flying insects such as mosquitos, beetles, and moths.  There are over 1,000 species in the world, but only around 40 are found in North America.  As mammals, they prefer a warm place to call home and raise their young.  For many people that becomes an attic and the wall space.  You can hear scuffling and even a high pitched squeaking from the young from behind the walls during the spring and summer months.

Maternal Instincts

The bats that take up residence with you are actually all female.  They give live birth to one baby each year and take very good care of their offspring.  Bats are protected species and it is illegal to kill them in all 50 states.  They are further protected with stricter fines and criminal charges during the maternal season due to the disastrous effects that would take place when removing them while they are young and cannot fly.  Your pest control servicer will not remove them until the maternal season is over, usually in mid to late fall.  This gives the pups born in spring and summer time to fly.

There are certain circumstances that a state will grant special permits to conduct an extrusion during the maternal season, but these are limited and rare.  Not all states have this provision either.

Removal

The only legal method for removal is exclusion.  This requires all of the cracks and gaps used for entry and exit to be sealed, all except for the main one.  A net or other one way device is used to allow the bats to exit but unable to return.  After a few days the appliance is removed and the last gap is sealed up.  Then the cleanup can begin.

The Clean Up

This requires professional removal.  The same pest control company takes care of this process also or refers out to a cleanup crew that is included in the cost of removal.  Due to the airborne lung disease, histoplasmosis, decontamination is needed in addition to the physical removal of the guano.  A deodorizer is also used as the smell tends to linger.  A layer of pesticide is also laid down.